. . .corruption.

U.N. Procurement Official Convicted

Quote :

"A former United Nations official was convicted of helping a friend secure $100 million in U.N. contracts in exchange for a discount on two luxury Manhattan apartments and cash. Sanjaya Bahel, 57 years old, chief of the U.N.'s Commodity Procurement Section from 1999 to 2003, had maintained his innocence since his November arrest. Defense lawyer Richard Herman had accused prosecutors of a 'witch hunt' against Mr. Bahel aiming to repair the public-relations damage of the U.N. oil-for-food program and other scandals. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon 'is satisfied that justice has been done,' a spokeswoman said in a statement."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118127338759028828.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

What's a good way for some to refer to Republicans is good for representatives of the world community, too, am I right?

6/8/2007 3:17:01 PM

I wish that building was bulldozed into the river

6/8/2007 3:18:04 PM

^^you've been busy today.

[Edited on June 8, 2007 at 3:18 PM. Reason : .]

6/8/2007 3:18:14 PM

Can you post the full text of the article? That seems to require a subscription.

6/8/2007 3:18:52 PM

^ No. But here's another link--it's from Fox News, so if you all don't like it, too bad. GOOGLE. . .DO YOU USE IT?

Former High-Ranking U.N. Official Convicted of Laundering Bribes

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257538,00.html

PS: Wait--that's a link to a different UN scandal. Here's a link about the initial post's scandal:

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-06-08T083355Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-302114-1.xml

V Duh.

[Edited on June 8, 2007 at 3:35 PM. Reason : .]

6/8/2007 3:29:06 PM

The article you linked to is about some Khuzinev guy where your original post is about some Sanjaya guy.

6/8/2007 3:33:51 PM

The United States _______ (insert the House of Representatives, the Senate, the President, the President's administration, any cabinet-level department, any lobbying organization, the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and most media organizations): A Culture of...

Corruption.



[Edited on June 8, 2007 at 4:16 PM. Reason : .]

6/8/2007 3:59:22 PM

I so thought this was going to be a positive thread about the UN

6/8/2007 5:34:34 PM

Quote :

"I so thought this was going to be a positive thread about the UN"

You must of missed the "started by"

UN corruption makes US Gov corruption look amateur.

6/8/2007 6:53:31 PM

The Hookbot Soapbox Scripting Template . . .
____________________________________________


. . . pithy "punch line"

bold type looks important

Quote :

"selective quote extracted out of context"

http://insert.link.here

snarky one-line comment

obligatory

6/9/2007 2:10:14 AM

6/9/2007 2:34:55 AM

.

7/22/2010 8:16:57 AM

Fallout continues over bashing of U.N. chief
July 22, 2010

Quote :

"United Nations (CNN) -- The United Nations remained abuzz Wednesday as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon returned to New York headquarters days after an internal report from a senior staffer sharply chastised him. Ban, fresh from a trip to Afghanistan, met with British Prime Minister David Cameron Wednesday afternoon. But those discussions have taken a back seat to the controversy surrounding a leaked 50-page memo from the outgoing U.N. anti-corruption director. Swedish diplomat Inga-Britt Ahlenius wrote in the memo that the U.N. is 'drifting into irrelevance' under Ban's supervision. Ahlenius wrote that the U.N. seems 'to be seen less and less as a relevant partner in the resolution of world problems,' saying Ban has led his office into a 'process of decay.'"

Quote :

"Ahlenius left her post as the head of the department charged with combating U.N. corruption in mid-July after serving out her five-year term. As her tenure at the Office of Internal Oversight Services came to an end, she sent a shockwave throughout the U.N. with an 'end-of-term' report to her boss admonishing the secretary-general for his 'absence of strategic guidance and leadership.'"

Quote :

"In August 2009, a confidential memo from Norwegian Deputy Ambassador Mona Juul to her foreign minister was leaked. Juul referred to the secretary-general as 'spineless and charmless,' saying that Ban was 'struggling to show leadership' with 'irresolute' appeals and that he was 'lacking in dedication.' Michael Soussan, a former U.N. staff member who helped blow the whistle on the oil-for-food scandal, once briefed Ahlenius as part of her understanding of the U.N. He told CNN that her statements are 'courageous,' saying it was time 'for someone to give voice this.' Soussan believes many staffers feel there is a 'lack of proper management' currently at the U.N. and Ahlenius' memo 'is welcome.' 'She has done the U.N. a favor,' he says. 'There is a culture of secrecy, which ultimately harms the organization.'"

Quote :

"But according to Ahlenius, Ban's mismanagement from the top 'translates into a weakening of the overall position of the United Nations,' and wonders whether the U.N. is on the right path under Ban's supervision. 'This is as sad as it is serious,' she writes."

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/21/un.ban.criticism/#fbid=aaOdAIb6QFW

The United Nations is rife with corruption and incompetence. Somehow this organization--if it is going to continue to exist and have any relevance whatsoever--needs a shake-up if it is ever going to fulfill its mandate.

7/22/2010 8:53:34 AM

The UN is weak. It struggles to enforce its positions. It has a credibility problem. Its culture is much like that of a high school. But it provides a place for world leaders to come together to talk to one another. And having a forum to engage in diplomatic relations with the rest of the world is good. If only for that I think the UN is useful to have around.

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 9:03 AM. Reason : .]

7/22/2010 9:02:51 AM

^ It also provides a place for dictators and mass murderers of the world to demonize the West.

Quote :

"Of all the U.N. institutions, the Human Rights Council is probably the most dysfunctional, dominated by dictatorships who use their membership in this body to shield each other from scrutiny of their human-rights violations."

http://tinyurl.com/2e7g6mf

7/22/2010 9:11:50 AM

So what? Are we so self-conscious as a nation that we'd attempt to silence crazy dictators from spouting hilarious nonsense. In fact, I quite enjoy the irony of dictators coming to the greatest city in the world, in the greatest country in the world, and being able to demonize our way of life, rant about how terrible our country is and otherwise freely espouse their dissent, the same types of speech they so vehemently deny their own citizens. And that irony isn't lost on the rest of the world either.

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 9:32 AM. Reason : .]

7/22/2010 9:27:44 AM

^ The horrific acts that those dictators obfuscate on the U.N. Human Rights Council, for example, are far worse than "hilarious nonsense."

[Edited on July 22, 2010 at 9:36 AM. Reason : Cue the moral equivalence parade. ]

7/22/2010 9:30:45 AM

No but Chavez saying he can smell sulfur a the podium is pretty hilarious. Or whatever crazy shit Khadafi was on about, etc.

7/22/2010 9:34:20 AM

________________ is rife with corruption and incompetence. Somehow this organization--if it is going to continue to exist and have any relevance whatsoever--needs a shake-up if it is ever going to fulfill its mandate.

7/22/2010 9:36:49 AM

Quote :

"Cue the moral equivalence parade."

Right on cue.

7/22/2010 9:38:36 AM

The UN is incompetent and corrupt, but it's still better to have some sort of international forum than none at all. Unfortunately, the way its structured, they simply do not have the power or resources to clean house; they are at the mercy of its member states.

7/22/2010 1:26:46 PM

^There's already quite enough crazy one world government antichrist end times talk out there about the UN. Can you imagine if it did have real power?

7/22/2010 1:42:25 PM

^ FTR, I'm not part of the "black helicopters" crowd. It appears that the leadership at the United Nations can even set the thermostats on the air conditioning in accordance with their own directives--I'm not worried about their secret helicopters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayW-0amZBbQ

7/22/2010 2:35:48 PM

"I'm not worried about their secret helicopters."

then you should see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA1hyqA6UTY

8/25/2010 2:48:51 AM

Expounding on this:

Quote :

"It's true that we provide a plurality of funding for the UN. The contributions of the US, Japan, and most European nations is roughly proportional to the GDP of those nations. Likewise, China's contribution is far, far less than directly proportional to its GDP. Of course, the UN is a team operation, and whether we give more or less, we're no more entitled to force the other member nations on the Security Council to follow our agenda than any other nation. As far as troop contributions, I can't find a comprehensive listing, but looking at the 11-year mission in the DR-Congo, and remembering what I've read previously, India and Pakistan tend to send a plurality of troops. A large majority come from developing nations. So as far as carrying the load, it depends on what load you're talking about. We had plenty of goodwill when the UN started and was pumped up by American liberals like Eleanor Roosevelt,to the hatred of right-wingers like Bob Taft, who I'd say is more representative of the American Right now. What happened?"

Why has the US lost so much goodwill at the UN since the days when it was truly taking the initiative in building the body? What's the solution for this corruption?

Is it more or less likely for things to change if we send people like John Bolton to the UN, who pretty much admit that all they care about is getting everyone to jump off a cliff as soon as he tells them to.?

8/30/2010 8:48:12 PM

Obama's UN Ambassador Susan Rice's only claim to fame so far is playing Goofy at the White House Halloween party.

8/30/2010 11:58:49 PM

She had fun at a party?

clearly unqualified

8/31/2010 1:05:13 AM

^
Yes..that's a main criticism of Rice. That she's merely a party girl...doing nothing at the UN. But she does manage to have the biggest staff of any US Ambassador to the UN...ever.

8/31/2010 10:03:55 AM

8/31/2010 10:57:05 AM

^
She looks a little lost....but here's some facts:

Quote :

"Where was she this time? The United Nations Security Council held an emergency Security Council meeting Monday on Israel's raid of a ship headed to Gaza -- and the United States was represented by the deputy at the US Mission. Reporters, UN members and activists were mystified as to why Susan Rice, the American Ambassador to the UN, was a no-show to the roughly 12-hour negotiations which left a key ally fending off global criticism without the top American diplomat to help. The emergency meeting included a public meeting and a series of private consultations. The UN Security Council ultimately issued a statement on the situation in the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 1, after starting deliberations on Monday, May 31 - the American Memorial Day holiday. One reporter told me, "I have no idea where she (Rice) was. We were there all day and the U.S. only had Wolff." Another reporter said, "It's Memorial Day. Rice doesn't show up during a normal week, why would she show on a holiday?" Porter Speakman, Jr, NGO activist and director of the film "With God on Our Side," said: "This is probably one of, if not, the most important meetings our Ambassador to the UN has seen since she arrived. What kind of message does this send to Arabs, the Turks and to Israel when Susan Rice doesn't show up?" Rice's absence sends a powerful message to the UN members attending the emergency meeting, unfortunately, the message is that she is either unable to lead or afraid of the consequences that come with taking a controversial stand. "

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-grenell/top-us-diplomat-fails-to_b_598117.html

8/31/2010 12:24:32 PM

^ That excerpt presents a few facts followed by a whole lot of conjecture. So, where was Ambassador Rice during that meeting?

From my own personal experience, I know that an Ambassador's schedule can be extremely hectic and it is not uncommon for the Deputy Chief of Mission to sit in on high level meetings in the Ambassador's absence. In fact, at many posts where Ambassadors are not career Foreign Service Officers, the DCM can be far more qualified to engage in high level negotiations.

So sure, she may have been out partying or shirking her diplomatic responsibilities as you suggest but I see no evidence of that in your excerpt.

[Edited on August 31, 2010 at 2:04 PM. Reason : 0]

8/31/2010 2:03:36 PM

Or maybe that is the intentional US message, that the US isn't going to risk everything for the Israelis messes anymore.

8/31/2010 5:35:42 PM