United Nutters

I wonder what the dems/leftists/one worlders and UN ass kissers think of Zimbabwe being one of 15 countries selected by the UN's Economic and Social Council in New York to serve on the UN Commission on Human Rights. Dosen't the UN have enouch scandals to deal with? Now they have Robert Mugabe's repressive regime looking out for human rights. What a joke. Roger Bate details the abuses of the Mugabe regime in his article.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) was dismayed:

"The Government of Zimbabwe has consistently disregarded the rights of its people, repressed political dissent and quashed any and all opposition. Far from earning a role as a protector of human rights, their membership renders the Commission illegitimate and irrelevant. A real and credible UN Human Rights Commission would be condemning the current regime and its activities. I deplore their selection as a Commission member, and hope that this outrageous appointment will help inspire UN members to enact extensive and meaningful reform of the Commission."

Sen. Frist is correct in every way, but he probably should have added that such disgraceful UN behavior is why it's vital that John Bolton is approved to be the US ambassador to the UN as soon as possible -- take note Sens. Voinovich, Chafee and Hagel.

John Bolton should be confirmed ASAP. This nonsense at the UN needs to be exposed and Bolton certainly is the man to do it. By the way, where is the wailing from the left and the MSM?

But it's often the smallest stories that grab people, so try this. In 2001 a Zimbabwean policeman with a reputation as a serial torturer was seconded to the UN police force in Kosovo. Not minding whose human rights he abused, Henry Dowa carried right on torturing and was eventually asked to leave in 2003. He is now back in Harare committing more offences against the powerless populace of Zimbabwe's capital. The human rights group, REDRESS, recently published a report on Dowa -- it makes grisly reading. According to the report, the UN acknowledged the gravity of the allegations made against Dowa. But here's the kicker:

"However, after very careful consideration and in consultation with UN Headquarters, we have with regret concluded that UN…cannot pursue criminal prosecution of the officer in Kosovo…[as the UN] has a very limited number of international judges and prosecutors to whom the case would have to be referred."

The plea of "scarce resources" sits rather uncomfortably amid any noble claim to protect human rights -- what point is the UN Commission on Human Rights if it refuses to prosecute known torturers? But honoring commitments was never high on the list for the UN at any level. Or maybe it's just another case of sordid backscratching among the powerful elite at the UN. Kojo Annan, who is still under investigation for his financial dealings in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal, has also made a mint as a contractor for the construction of Harare's new International Airport. The airport is very nice, it reminded me of Stansted in England -- unnerving given that it's surrounded by abject poverty. One wonders what Mugabe has promised him and his father this time.

I hope the Senate Foreign Relations committee votes positively for John Bolton; his style is much needed there. Although he is wrong on one thing: losing ten floors of the UN building is not enough.

The bottom line here is that the UN is either to much of the coward or too incompitent to do anything about prosecuting those that they KNOW have committed atrocities, torture and other crimes. I wonder what how the usual suspects are going to either try nad spin this or just ignore, hoping no one will notice. It is high time for Bolton to be confirmed. - Sailor