UN needs overhaul to 'survive as vital force' - Rice

[Razor]

http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.as...ortlive&ks=0&mc=5&ml=ma&lc=en&ae=windows-1252


An article about Rice on the proposed overhaul of the UN. A few of the sentences really stood out though and made me worry about what America's real intentions are...

"Rice, who has chosen John Bolton, a longtime critic of the organization, to be her U.N. ambassador, said Washington needed to lead changes to fix an institution dogged by scandals over corruption in the Iraq oil-for-food program and sexual abuse by peacekeepers."

Very hypocritical, especially considering the scandals about Dick Cheney's ex-company getting a lot of lucritive contracts in Iraq, also about the "sexual abuse by peacekeepers" seeing that all the sexual abuse peace keepers have been responsible for, that i have ever read about, have all been American troops.

Also the quote...

"He is going to be a force for what is always needed in the United Nations: American leadership to update and reform and strengthen this great institution," Rice said.

American leadership in the UN, the UN Doesn't need America's leadership to update or reform it, the UN is a multi-national organisation, not America's Organisation.

I do agree that the UN needs reforming, but not if it means America getting greater power as America has only America's interests at heart when it comes to the UN, according to their ambassador to the UN anyway, and not the interests of the other UN countries or the 3rd world.

 

[Absinthe]

American leadership in the UN, the UN Doesn't need America's leadership to update or reform it, the UN is a multi-national organisation, not America's Organisation.

I do agree that the UN needs reforming, but not if it means America getting greater power as America has only America's interests at heart when it comes to the UN, according to their ambassador to the UN anyway, and not the interests of the other UN countries or the 3rd world.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

 

[Calanen]

Very hypocritical, especially considering the scandals about Dick Cheney's ex-company getting a lot of lucritive contracts in Iraq, also about the "sexual abuse by peacekeepers" seeing that all the sexual abuse peace keepers have been responsible for, that i have ever read about, have all been American troops.

What was the scandal of Halliburton getting the fuel contract? It was the only company that did and could meet the contract. Does the fact that Cheney used to work there mean they should be ruled out and an inferior contractor who was not as good as Halliburton try and supply fuel to an army as big as the US's?

Man your bias about America is way up there - all the abuse that you have read about is US? I am not saying it has not happened - but the reports I heard about named a lot of third world countries:

The United Nations reportedly has uncovered scores of incidents of alleged sexual misconduct by U.N. troops on peacekeeping duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Published accounts in Washington and New York say a confidential U.N. report prepared earlier this year documents 68 cases of rape, prostitution and sexual exploitation of minors in Congo, by peacekeepers from Pakistan, Uruguay, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and Nepal.

The report also accuses peacekeepers from Morocco, Pakistan and Nepal of trying to obstruct the investigation into the matter, even going so far as to threaten investigators.

A senior U.S. official in Congo recently was suspended after allegations surfaced that he fraternized with prostitutes at a bar.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-17-voa7.cfm

The report documents 68 cases of alleged rape, prostitution and pedophilia by U.N. peacekeepers from Pakistan, Uruguay, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and Nepal. U.N. officials say they have uncovered more than 150 allegations of sexual misconduct throughout the country as part of a widening investigation into sexual abuse by U.N. personnel that has plagued the United Nations' largest peacekeeping mission, U.N. officials said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3145-2004Dec15.html

If you have only heard about US peackeepers being responsible for sexual abuse when there was blanket covereage a few months about third world nations doing this, then you need to read the newspapers some more before you come out with such statements or at least do a google search.

 

[Razor]

What was the scandal of Halliburton getting the fuel contract? It was the only company that did and could meet the contract. Does the fact that Cheney used to work there mean they should be ruled out and an inferior contractor who was not as good as Halliburton try and supply fuel to an army as big as the US's?

Man your bias about America is way up there - all the abuse that you have read about is US? I am not saying it has not happened - but the reports I heard about named a lot of third world countries:



http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-17-voa7.cfm



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3145-2004Dec15.html

If you have only heard about US peackeepers being responsible for sexual abuse when there was blanket covereage a few months about third world nations doing this, then you need to read the newspapers some more before you come out with such statements or at least do a google search.

It wasn't in any newspaper i read or on any of the internet websites either, i apologise for my statement but it still stands, the most famous case over the past 5 years of peacekeepers sexually abusing innocent people and torturing innocent people have been done by the US government and a very small number of US troops, but there was also news that a very small number of British troops also physically abused Iraqi prisoners as well.

 

[CptStern]

What was the scandal of Halliburton getting the fuel contract? It was the only company that did and could meet the contract. Does the fact that Cheney used to work there mean they should be ruled out and an inferior contractor who was not as good as Halliburton try and supply fuel to an army as big as the US's?

Vice President Dick Cheney continues to say that he has no ties to Halliburton since joining the GOP ticket in 2000. He also promised to clear himself from any conflict of interest should he become Vice President. In each of his claims, the facts tell a very different story.

CLAIM: “But what I'll have to do, assuming we're successful [in the election], is divest myself, that is, sell any remaining shares that I have in the company.”
– Dick Cheney, 7/30/00

FACT: A congressional report found that Cheney still owns “more than 433,000 Halliburton stock options,” including “100,000 shares at $54.50 per share, 33,333 shares at $28.125 and 300,000 shares at $39.50 per share.”
– CNN, 9/25/03

CLAIM: “I severed my ties with Halliburton when I became a candidate for Vice President in August of 2000.”
– Dick Cheney, 1/22/04

FACT: Along with the 433,000 stock options, “ Cheney still receives about $150,000 a year” from Halliburton.
– CNN, 10/25/03

CLAIM: “What happens financially [by joining the GOP ticket], obviously, is I take a bath , in one sense.”
– Dick Cheney, 7/25/00

FACT: Halliburton “has agreed to let Mr. Cheney, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, retire with a package worth an estimated $20 million, according to people who have reviewed the deal.”
– NY Times, 8/12/00

source

 

[Calanen]

Vice President Dick Cheney continues to say that he has no ties to Halliburton since joining the GOP ticket in 2000. He also promised to clear himself from any conflict of interest should he become Vice President. In each of his claims, the facts tell a very different story.

CLAIM: “But what I'll have to do, assuming we're successful [in the election], is divest myself, that is, sell any remaining shares that I have in the company.”
– Dick Cheney, 7/30/00

He has - a 'share' is not a stock option.........

FACT: A congressional report found that Cheney still owns “more than 433,000 Halliburton stock options,” including “100,000 shares at $54.50 per share, 33,333 shares at $28.125 and 300,000 shares at $39.50 per share.”
– CNN, 9/25/03

Stock options are part of a plan - that vest over time. If you throw the stock options away, you get nothing. If the stock options are not vested, you can't do anything with them. 100,000 options which are worthless even if they have vested, and who knows if they had, given the stock price is 40.25 at the moment. Dick Cheney would need to exercise 100,000 options for the privilege of losing 12 a share, or 1.2 million dollars.... 300,000 shares maybe worth a buck if the market does not slide, but when you take into account broker's fees they are worthless too. The others can be exercised, but he had them as part of his employment package. He owns no shares in anything, just an option to buy some which he may or may not take up. Even if he does exercise them, he can immediately cash them out.

CLAIM: “I severed my ties with Halliburton when I became a candidate for Vice President in August of 2000.”
– Dick Cheney, 1/22/04

FACT: Along with the 433,000 stock options, “ Cheney still receives about $150,000 a year” from Halliburton.
– CNN, 10/25/03

More spin. He did sever ties but gets a deferred compensation package that was part of his employment package, e.g. where a person receives a bonus of $1 million and the company promises to pay the amount over 5 years. They are just already earned bonuses that the company was obliged to pay over time - and still owed to him, he is not on the payroll.

CLAIM: “What happens financially [by joining the GOP ticket], obviously, is I take a bath , in one sense.”
– Dick Cheney, 7/25/00

FACT: Halliburton “has agreed to let Mr. Cheney, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, retire with a package worth an estimated $20 million, according to people who have reviewed the deal.”
– NY Times, 8/12/00

He did take a bath because most of his stock options could not continue to vest, nor could he receive additional grants or be eligible for retention payments. If he had remained with Halliburton, his options would have continued to vest and this would amount to millions, perhaps tens of millions of dollars.

This is a really good example where the Left takes facts, twists them around in its spin machine, and then spouts of a load bs - and tries to make them into some sort of case agains Cheney. The truth is he left Halliburton with a whole heap of stock options, most of them underwater, and with the company still owing him deferred compensation payments (the $150,000). Big deal. He says he has sold all his shares, and then they say ' but he has options' - so what? An option to buy a share, is not a share......