Jim Addington's  Letters to The New Statesman 11th September 2005

The Letters Editor 11th September 2005

The New Statesman

Dear Sir

Tariq Ali reminds us that the United Nations was an American idea, which is one up on the League of Nations which it never joined. The UN provides a worldwide service through many agencies, but some are not under its control. and should be brought in. In the meantime, if it ain't broke, why mend it?

The UN Security Council, manipulated as it is by the US and its allies, still declined to agree to the attack on Kosovo or Iraq. Would it have so readily passed a resolution supporting action against terrorism on the day after 9/11 if Afghanistan had been named as the target?

Dan Plesch rightly extols the UN but in suggesting that "Britain should assign substantial military forces on stand-by to the UN" he may be forgetting that for many years Kofi Annan and his predecessors have asked for a peace-keeping budget and approval to use trained stand-by forces offered by many UN member states. Britain, which took part in the operations mentioned above might do well for a time to keep a lower military profile.

The British government, which supported the Secretary-General after the recent criticisms, should put its diplomatic weight behind the proposals for the new Human Rights and Peacebuilding Commissions and continue to support the UN Millennium Development goals.

Jim Addington (chair) Action for UN Renewal