A slippery way to protect the UN.(The Last Word)(growing corruption charges againg United nations)

The stream of reports about UN corruption has approached flood stage. For example, in mid-November Secretary-General Kofi Annan apologized to the world body after Congo-based UN peacekeepers had been found sexually abusing women and children.

Evidence linking UN officials, even Kofi's son Kojo, to a $21 billion oil-for-food rip-off continues to appear. Credible claims that much of the money ended up in the hands of Saddam Hussein has prompted Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), the leader of one of five investigations looking into this scam, to call for Annan's resignation.

The British medical journal Lancet has sharply criticized the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for providing condoms for African children and distributing graphic sex education materials in Latin America. The Lancet also notes that a high-ranking UNICEF official wants prostitution legalized.

The International Criminal Court, a "court" which upholds UN-sponsored international rules, earned criticism from the Bush administration when it claimed to have the power to prosecute U.S. citizens and soldiers.

In the midst of the growing evidence of the UN's deficiencies, a panel appointed by Annan suggested expanding the Security Council from 15 to 24 members. And Annan himself personally called for dramatically increasing the Secretariat he leads and construction of a 35-story annex to house the thousands of new employees he envisions.

For more than 50 years, the U.S. has been the leading contributor to the UN. The U.S. is now assessed 22 percent of the UN's regular budget. President Bush, in his fiscal 2005 budget request, called for spending $2.2 billion for the UN system and "peace-keeping," including $362 million for the UN regular budget. This amount does not include the president's budget request for a $1.2 billion loan to the UN to renovate its headquarters complex.

Responding to demands that something be done, Congressman Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) insists he's had enough of the UN's corruption and high-handedness. Last November, before the end of the last Congress, he introduced legislation to reduce U.S. funding to the UN by 10 percent. Claiming 75 co-sponsors, Flake stated, "I definitely feel that the people are fed up." If so, why only a 10 percent cut?