The United Nations represents the dream that nations can work and live together in peace, regardless of creed, race or religion. Well that might be a nice dream but it is time to wake up. The United Nations is a dangerous joke.
On May 12, Iraq will become the chair of the U.N.’s disarmament conference. Iraq has been defying its agreements with the U.N. since the early 1990s. And now the election of Libya as chair of the U.N.’s Commission on Human Rights, is just adding insult to injury.
Libya has undergone abduction, assassination and torture. Exactly the type of people we want in charge of the crusade to protect human rights, right?
As if their choice of leadership isn’t enough to question the U.N.’s credibility, then perhaps the organizations handling its money will get your attention.
According to Tony Blair, Britain’s Prime Minister, Iraq has been exploiting the oil-for-food program. When it was created in 1995, the program was a way to deliver humanitarian aid, despite sanctions, by importing goods to Iraq and then giving sellers money based on oil sales.
However, that’s not how Saddam Hussein has been implementing the program. Iraq has generated close to $3 billion per year by means of surcharge kickbacks and smuggling.
Even if Saddam is illegally obtaining funds for his personal use, one could argue that the humanitarian aid received by the Iraqi citizens outweighs this flaw. This argument could be valid if it wasn’t Saddam deciding what is “needed” and who in Iraq gets what.
The way things stand now the United Nation is simply helping to cement Saddam’s control over Iraq by placing him in charge of all aid coming from the U.N.
Earlier this month the United Nations World Court ordered the United States to indefinitely postpone the executions of three Mexicans convicted of murder. The World Court did not allege the men had been unfairly tried or that there was insufficient evidence to convict them.
Rather the reason stated was “international abhorrence of capital punishment.”
If the idea of a world ruled by the United Nations still seems like a dream you would love to see come true, then try to keep these things in mind.
The United Nations has repeatedly shown that it considers the laws and policies of the United States subservient to its own.
Daniel Watkins, 20, is a sophomore computer information systems student from Augusta. He can be reached at caharin17@yahoo.com.