Happy Dance
I welcomed this bit of news this morning with a little happy dance. It seems that yesterday the Senate voted to cut the US share of UN peacekeeping mission costs.The vote reflected criticism of the United Nations after allegations of
corruption and mismanagement in the Iraq oil-for-food program and sexual abuses
by peacekeepers.
U.S. dues are capped at 27.1 percent of the peacekeeping budget. Under a
1994 law, that cap is to be reduced to 25 percent.
It seems to me that one quarter is more than our fair share, but it is a step in the right direction.
Republican senators said the 25-percent cap would aid diplomats as they
negotiate the U.S. share of peacekeeping expenses and push for UN changes.
You know, a little payback and a way to get some credibility back in the UN.
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee,
said it could lead to the United States falling behind in its UN dues.
And that would be a bad thing...how?
