Free Republic

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton is quoted in Thursday's Washington Post as saying that while the U.S. supports more development assistance to those countries that demonstrate an ability to use aid effectively, "the U.S. does not accept global aid targets or global taxes." This marks a breakthrough. The paper's U.N. correspondent, Colum Lynch, has finally noted that the issue of "global taxes" has been on the table at the U.N. He still hasn't disclosed that the "international community" wants to soak the U.S. for an additional $845 billion. The comments were included in the final paragraph of Lynch's...

Sunday 13 February 2005, 21:02 Makka Time, 18:02 GMT The civil war displaced more than 4 million people The UN agency for refugees has received only a fraction of the funds it needs to help millions of people to return home after the end of Sudan's north-south civil war, officials said. Wendy Chamberlin, deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said there was a danger donor countries would not deliver promised funds because the world was focused on helping countries hit by the Asian tsunami crisis. "We've received $3.6 million out of an initial appeal for $30 million, but we...

UNITED NATIONS - UN employees were readying on Friday to make a historic vote of no confidence in scandal-plagued Secretary General Kofi Annan, sources told AFP. The UN staff union, in what officials said was the first vote of its kind in the more than 50-year history of the United Nations, was set to approve a resolution withdrawing its support for the embattled Annan and UN management. Annan has been in the line of fire over a high-profile series of scandals including controversy about a UN aid programme that investigators say allowed deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to embezzle billions...