United Nations

Thomas Friedman writes to Andrew Sullivan: Why is it that liberals, such as myself, who were ready to support the war, so desperately wanted U.N. approval for it? It was for a couple of reasons–one that is already apparent and one that will become more apparent....

If its handling of Iraq was a test of the United Nations, as President Bush has indicated, then the United Nations has clearly failed. But this should be no surprise, because yet another test of the United Nations–like yet another resolution giving Saddam...

The American delegate put a brave face on it. “This is not a defeat for the United States,” US Ambassador Kevin Moley said after Libya was elected to the chairmanship of the United Nations’ highest human rights panel on Monday. “This is a...

The UN is the protector of the innocent, the poor and the hungry. I know it’s true because I read it in United Nation’s propaganda. And, pity the unappreciated UN, with its noble mission. Because greedy nations like the United States just won’t pay...

Hollywood loves using the “it takes a thief to catch a thief” plot in its movies. But even the most creative scriptwriter couldn’t top the real-life plot twist the U.N. Commission on Human Rights will have concocted when Libya becomes its chairman....

Imagine the following scenario: if on the eve of American independence, the founders had asked the world’s permission before they revolted against the English crown. Imagine if the question of American independence rested not in the minds of the patriots, but...

In the debate over Iraq, the Democrats and most allied governments are demanding United Nations Security Council endorsement of a military campaign – or they are against it. This is a strange position. The U.S. government, with an over two-century record of...

As we write, both Democrats and Republicans are introducing legislation to seek a moratorium on re-incorporations to tax havens — and some of the bills include a retroactive repeal of the right of companies that have already accessed havens. But Congressional...

Eleven years ago, the Soviet Union was a communist dictatorship, an “evil empire,” in the words of President Reagan. But today, the Cold War is a fading memory, and the nation that used to represent international socialism has junked its...

A key United Nations panel has proposed a radical plan to give international bureaucrats sweeping powers over U.S. tax policy. This scheme, which will be part of the agenda at the International Conference on Financing for Development next March, would undermine...

The UN World Conference Against Racism has met and taken up its primary agenda: the praise and protection of racists. The tone was set on the first day of the conference, when that paragon of progressive politics, Yasser Arafat, took the podium to condemn Israel as a...

The United Nations will open its “World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance” (let’s call it WCAR) on Aug 31 in Durban, South Africa. Already there are threats to pull out by the United States unless...

On Friday, Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with congressional leaders to assuage their anger at America’s ejection from the UN’s Human Rights Commission. The meeting seems to have been a success; it looks as if Republicans in Congress will give up their...

Professional wrestling is the soap opera farce of sports. From the official bouts to the backroom posturing, all disputes and relationships are staged and meaningless. One can say almost the same for the United Nations, and particularly its recent Millennial Meeting,...