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THE IMPORTANCE
OF U.N. PEACEKEEPING by STEPHEN SCHLESINGER (MaximsNews.com,
U.N.)
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com@U.N./
- 21 May 2007 –
Successive American
administrations have had sometimes rocky, sometimes rosy relations with the
U.N., but one feature which all US governments have universally admired at the
U.N. has been its peacekeeping missions.
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These
undertakings have over the decades prevented the outbreak of conflict,
disarmed combatants, overseen elections and trained police forces – all
without involving US troops and saving Washington millions of dollars.
Today
they number eighteen and involve over 100,000 UN soldiers. But now they may
be in trouble.
The US owes
almost $500 million in back-dues to support these operations because
Congress insisted several years ago that our nation should pay only 25
percent of the overall costs of these endeavors though we could afford
more.
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Without
US outlays, these vital enterprises may now be crippled or forced to end.
And
why have they proven so important? Mostly because they are monitoring war zones
in some of the hottest spots on the planet – like the Congo, Darfur, Haiti,
Iraq Lebanon and Kosovo – and assuring that further battles don’t break out
which could lead to larger and more serious world-wide conflagrations.
If
more proof of their value was ever needed, recent studies by the Rand
Corporation, the University of British Columbia and the General Accounting
Organization have shown that U.N. peacekeeping missions have over the years
helped dampen down disorder and mayhem around the globe significantly at a
cheaper cost and with more legitimacy and effectiveness than if done by
Washington or other major powers.
Today
Congress is taking a second look at its arrears in America’s peacekeeping
account.
Recently
Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Republican Senator Richard Lugar introduced a
bill that would temporarily lift the 25 percent cap on US contributions to the
UN’s peacekeeping forces and allow America to pay up its $500 million
shortfall for the year 2008.
Surely
this is a vital piece of legislation for our national security. I would urge you
or your neighbor or your friends to contact your representative in Congress on
why we need this bill.
It
would be a high act of citizenship to guarantee the peace around our planet.
StephenSchlesinger@MaximsNews.com
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Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
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