Sen. Patrick Leahy to US: "Take a deep breath" over UN

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15127271.htm

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, visiting the United Nations, cautioned his Congressional colleagues to "take a deep breath" before making a political football out of the world body by withholding dues.

Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said he disapproved of moves by several Republicans to withhold U.S. payments unless the world body fully cooperates with Congressional probes into the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq.

"I think we ought to take a deep breath. This is not a time to make a political football out of the U.N.," Leahy told reporters after seeing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "We need them in the Sudan. We need them throughout parts of Africa ... in Iraq, in Haiti."

Leahy was the third Democratic legislator in a week to offer support to Annan at the United Nations, following Rep. Tom Lantos of California and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.

"I've talked with not only the Secretary of State (Colin Powell) but the incoming secretary of state (Condoleezza Rice) about this. I know that they support the secretary-general. I do too," Leahy said.

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[Massacure]

1. Won't the U.S. get kicked off the security counsil if they don't pay up?

[godel escher bach]

2. No. The veto thing.

[kurtyboy]

3. Welcome to DU!!!

I don't ordinarily do the welcome message, but you're screen-name caught my eye! The book of the same name (Douglas Hofstadter, New York: Random House, 1980) is one that sits on my shelf and I just haven't gotten to yet...along with a host of others...

The subtitle originally caught my eye, along with the Pulitzer Prize, of course: "A metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll."

If you've read it, please give me a couple of good reasons to slide it into my reading schedule--I'd surely appreciate it.

Thanks,
Kurt

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. It's a superb book

with a lot to say on the subject of logic, proof, artificial intelligence, and much, much more. Hofstadter has a good sense of humour as well, which he skillfully weaves into some deep philosophical discussions. I particularly like Hofstadter's Law:

"It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law."

[flordehinojos]

4. The United States has been withholding UN dues since the times of Jesse

Helms. Nothing new there. (The UN should kick the US's butt out of there 'till we pay our dues--but being that physicall the UN building is in NY...i wonder what the bush police state would do?)

[struggle4progress]

6. kick

:kick: