January 13, 2006
WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT MICROPHONE (via Daniel Merriman):
Bolton Scores U.N. on Stance Toward Israel (BENNY AVNI, January 13, 2006 , NY Sun)
The American ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, upped the ante in an escalating confrontation between America and Turtle Bay on the issue of Israel's place at the world body. In a sharply worded letter to Secretary-General Annan, Mr. Bolton threatened to cut funding to the United Nations if it continues to promote anti-Israel events.Mr. Bolton's January 3 letter, which was seen yesterday by The New York Sun, is a response to a November 29 event celebrating an annual "International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People." At the event, which was attended by Mr. Annan and other top diplomats, a map that "erases the state of Israel," as Mr. Bolton wrote, was displayed.
"Given that we now have a world leader pursuing nuclear weapons who is calling for the state of Israel to be wiped off the map, the issue has even greater salience," Mr. Bolton wrote.
A photo of Mr. Annan standing below the map - several days after President Ahmadinejad of Iran made his statement - was carried last month on the Web site eyeontheun.org, creating a storm of criticism. [...]
Most ominously for the United Nations, Mr. Bolton wrote, "In light of prohibition under U.S. law to fund events such as this one, do you consider it appropriate for the United Nations to advertise and promote the event on its general Web site and other venues, which do in fact benefit from U.S. funds?"
Given recent events, Mr. Annan will gladly crawl through ground glass if that's what it takes to apologize. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 13, 2006 6:29 PM
In other words, United States law makes it illegal for the government, or any citizen, to contribute any money to the United Nations. Now that our ambassador to the U.N. has stated as much, it is time for some law suits. Ted Turner and others who have contributed to them should be made into examples of those who contribute to the support of those who sanction organized, and illegal, hate crimes.
Posted by: Michael Gersh at January 13, 2006 7:41 PMThis is another reason why Kofi Annan should go. The UN, unable to survive without US funding and based in the very country that many of it's members affect to hate, is utterly discredited in my view: useless in Bosnia; weak in Cyprus; incapable of returning islands taken from the UAE by Iran; questionable in its International Aid programmes; culpable in the Oil for Food scandal; largely silent on the multiple injustices and Human Rights breaches of the so called Islamic World; a mere trading mart for the expensive votes of impoverished countries' corrupt and indulgent UN representatives; a shopping opportunity for their proud wives; and so on. All this under lavishly paid, complacent Kofi Annan. If the US brings it and him lessons in financial and political realism, so much the better. The UN should never become a platform for crude hostility against Israel or anyone else. But it has. This world body gives less value for money and seems less accountable than a newly purchased washing machine and its manufacturer. Its time it was hung out to dry.
Posted by: sebastianweetabix at January 13, 2006 9:07 PMDespite John Bolton having a strange resemblence to Yosemite Sam, the U.S. finally has a U.N. Ambassador to stand up for what's right!!
Posted by: Amy Verosky at January 13, 2006 9:35 PMSomewhere in DC, george Voinovich sits in a corner by himself, quietly weeping.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at January 14, 2006 2:06 AMBolton does remind one of Yosimte Sam, but he appears to be Hessian with lots of aggression
Posted by: jdkelly at January 14, 2006 4:10 PMAny liberal who allows his hatred of George W. Bush to stop him from from being proud of our country and our representation by John Bolton, has cut off his own nose to spite his face. Liberals who support the U.N., which is being used as a platform for the discrimination against Israel and Jews, and a springboard for future wars and murder of Americans and Jews, are unworthy of respect.
Posted by: Michael Gersh at January 15, 2006 5:08 AM