United Nations

Hailed last year as a model of what the United Nations could doin regions wracked by war and famine, today Somalia has become "the greatest failure of the U.N. in our lifetime," in the words of one U.N. official.Until we acknowledge that failure and take steps to correct it, sending more troops -- as retired U.S. Admiral Jonathan Howe, chief U.N. representative in Somalia, recommends -- will only add fuel to the fire.At the root of the failure -- and its enduring legacy -- is the hatred most Somalis now feel for their would-be rescuer.

NEW YORK -- When Boutros Boutros-Ghali became secretary-general of the United Nations five years ago, he appointed Richard L. Thornburgh, the former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. attorney general, as his deputy and assigned him to cut waste and root out corruption.Thornburgh spent a year as undersecretary-general. He drafted a report calling for several management reforms, particularly the creation of an inspector general to control and investigate how money was spent.But the calls went unheeded.

An article in the Perspective section Dec. 7, "Two flaws exist in U.S. policy toward Iraq," suggested that Syria's dominance in Lebanon is a violation of United Nations resolutions. In fact, Syria's presence in Lebanon was requested by the Lebanese government, and the United Nations was never asked to consider it.The Sun regrets the error.Pub Date: 12/11/97

Bradford Morse, 73, a former five-term Republican congressman from Massachusetts and past undersecretary-general of the United Nations, died yesterday at his home in Naples, Fla. He had been in poor health, said a spokesman.

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations said yesterday that "highly placed members" of the Haitian army were involved in the killing Sept. 11 of Antoine Izmery, a wealthy merchant and supporter of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.In a 17-page report, the United Nations also said the killing of Mr. Izmery marked a new stage in Haiti's political violence and sent a message that "no one was untouchable" in the campaign to keep Father Aristide from returning to power."This symbolic dimension has shown itself to be effective, because no public demonstration of support for the president of the republic [Father Aristide]

UNITED NATIONS -- Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright reminded the Security Council yesterday who is in charge of U.S. foreign policy. Her statement followed Thursday's criticisms of the United Nations by Sen. Jesse Helms, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, in a speech to the Security Council, coupled with his warning that Americans would cast the organization off if it failed to meet their demands. Only the president of the United States can speak for the American people, Albright said.

UNITED NATIONS -- President Bush intends to nominate Zalmay Khalilzad as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the White House announced yesterday, signaling that Washington plans to work with the United Nations in a high-profile way with a high-flying troubleshooter. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the official announcement, which had been anticipated since last week. She said Khalilzad performed "heroically and at great personal risk" as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq for the past 18 months as he tried to help Iraqis build democracy in their country.

THE UNITED Nations always braces for the worst whenever an American president proclaims that he is acting in the best interest of the institution. In his Sept. 12, 2002, address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Bush stated that he was a fan of the United Nations, was sickened by Saddam Hussein's contemptuous violations of the Security Council's resolutions and was going to make the United Nations relevant again by ensuring that Mr. Hussein finally disarmed. The General Assembly erupted in applause, though not because those in attendance believed that Mr. Bush was a convert to the United Nations.

The recent National Intelligence Estimate painted a troubling picture. While al-Qaida is resurgent, with an "undiminished" intent to attack the U.S. homeland, international counterterrorism cooperation is likely to wane as 9/11 grows more distant. Revitalizing the United Nations' counterterrorism role would be an important step to bolster the international effort against al-Qaida. The United Nations has demonstrated that it can play a significant counterterrorism role. Indeed, for the first few years after 9/11, it was at the center of the fight against terrorism.

In SARAJEVO, the United Nations commander for Bosnia, Lt. Gen. Philippe Morillon, warned that the republic is plunging into "total chaos" and that U.N. soldiers might have to be withdrawn. A mortar slams into a funeral at a Muslim cemetery, killing eight people.The UNITED NATIONS halted overland aid deliveries after Croats attacked a convoy bound for Tuzla.Fighting between Bosnian Croats and the mostly Muslim Bosnian army resumed near TRAVNIK. The Bosnian Serbs continued an offensive against Gorazde.