Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Bush 'Undermining UN with Aid Coalition':
“Only really the UN can do that job,” [former International Development Secretary Clare Short] told BBC Radio Four’s PM programme.... “It is the only body that has the moral authority.
Argh! What has the UN ever done successfully? What makes the UN the only body with the "moral authority" to deliver aid to disaster victims? Of course, I deny that the UN has any moral authority whatsoever, but seriously, what crazy view of the world leads you to make a statement like that?
Update: Amy and Sean have comments. Also see Amy's post on US humanitarian aid.
Update: Professor Bainbridge has comments. He points out that the US is being criticized both for not doing enough and for doing too much at the same time.
And RedState.org says about Claire Short's comments:
She goes on to say, "Only really the UN can do that job. . . . It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers."... Shocking to no one is her opinion that the U.S. is "very bad at coordinating with anyone."... Just to speak truth to power, and to remind those who have possibly forgotten: didn't the U.N. "coordinate" the oil-for-food program? If I understand correctly, the U.N. allowed various trustees and overseers to "coordinate" away Iraqi assets. And the U.N. was backed by the "great powers" the whole time... So, maybe policy makers are justified in believing that the U.N. is not the best administrator of resources.
Update: The Diplomad has a news flash: Clare Short is an Idiot! (via LGF):
"Only really the UN can do the job?" We have US C-130s flying in and out of here dropping off heaps of supplies; US choppers arrive today; USAID is doing a knock-out job of marshalling and coordinating US and local resources to deliver real assistance to real people. The Aussies have planes and troops delivering stuff; even the Indians have goods on the way. The UN? Nowhere to be seen. OK, I'm not being fair. Last night they played host to a big "coordination" meeting of donors to announce that the UNDP has another large "assessment and coordination team" team arriving. Our USAID guys, who've been working 18-20 hrs/day, came back furious from this meeting saying everybody would be dead if the delivery of aid waited for the UN to set up shop and begin "coordinating." The UN types are upset with the US, Ms. Short, dear, not because we're undermining them but because we're showing them up as totally inept.
So much stupidity . . . . Ms. Short and her ilk would rather have people die than have the US go it "alone" with its partners.
That seems right.
Friday, December 31, 2004
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Well.... it's your view that's crazy, dude. You're just recycling the old chewed up argument that "the UN is good for nothing".
After the UN turned down the US suggestion to attack Iraq, you Bush friendlies are always blabbering on about how bad the UN system is. And after the discovery that the UN was RIGHT about the non-existence of the WMD's it has only gotten worse. And finally, now that the Iraq operation looks more and more like a gigantic mistake, you're getting even more irrational about your statements about the UN system.
You know, you're all going to have to drink Kool-Aid in a not too distant future.... So I suggest toning down the UN-criticism already at this point in time. Right?