Okay folks, set your gag-o-meters to full coating protection.
Bush 'Undermining UN with Aid Coalition'
By Jamie Lyons, PA Political Correspondent
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3944374
December 30, 2004
United States President George Bush was tonight accused of trying to undermine the United Nations by setting up a rival coalition to coordinate relief following the Asian tsunami disaster.
The president has announced that the US, Japan, India and Australia would coordinate the world’s response.
But former International Development Secretary Clare Short said that role should be left to the UN.
“I think this initiative from America to set up four countries claiming to coordinate sounds like yet another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the best system we have got and the one that needs building up,” she said.
“Only really the UN can do that job,” she told BBC Radio Four’s PM programme.
“It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers.”
Ms Short said the coalition countries did not have good records on responding to international disasters.
She said the US was “very bad at coordinating with anyone” and India had its own problems to deal with.
“I don’t know what that is about but it sounds very much, I am afraid, like the US trying to have a separate operation and not work with the rest of the world through the UN system,” she added.
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Note, please, the appalling lack of concern for the people who need relief YESTERDAY; note that these four countries set appropriate officials to the task ASAP; note that the UN still has no plan; note that Secretary of State Colin Powell did talk with Kofi Annan and the US is now incorporating the UN in relief efforts; time will tell if the UN helps or hinders ...
I have come to the conclusion that the President just might be supporting Kofi to keep Clinton out of the UN. As admiring of him as the UN is, they would probably vote him in without hesitation.