Tim Blair

This kind of thing is not as rare as the U.N. worshippers would have you think.

See here and here.

Yes, but remember, that's the UN and as a socialist organization, its intent is good, and what they did was a mistake. The USA is evil, evil, and the source of all wrong in the world. Anything it does is wicked and horrid, even if its a good thing, because its intent is wrong, bad, and not politically correct!

Now i see the UN's agenda...They want to turn the whole world into a gigantic whorehouse.

Time for the World Court to step in.

[smothered snicker]

"using the national currency as toilet paper."

that right there is a perfect summation of their view of nations.

UN Piecekeepers, as in "get a".

Why shouldn't girls and black market action be fair booty for the deployed boys in blue helmets when UN beaurocrats are making out like bandits in the comfort of their offices?

Look I hate the UN more than most - I was even tempted by Osama's offer of 22 pounds of gold to waste Kofi - but really...

housing criminals..(?), paedophilia (oh come on is 15 really paedophilia? If so you can lock up half my nephews footy team), making pornography (its beginning to sound like California) and even using the national currency as toilet paper (ho hum).

Well, Alex, I suspect if your 15 year old daughter was being passed around by a bunch of armed thugs from overseas, you wouldn't take such a sanguine view of paedophilia.

Yes, there is a difference between a 15 year old boy chasing 15 year old tail, and a 30 year old man doing the same.

Alex, these sort of issues have gotten feces flung at US forces. I see no reason to allow UN forces to set lower standards, especially if the UN keeps on posturing as a world leader.

For example, South Korea "imports" Russian prostitutes (white slavery, more like) for their brothels. US troops are accused of supporting white slavery because troops "frequent those establishments", never mind that there are Korean males who are also valued customers. At least those hookers are over 18 (as far as I know, anyway).

US troops are forbidden to take any sort of porno material with them into Kuwait or Iraq, because of local customs and laws (all porn is illegal in Kuwait; even the cover of car magazines are frowned upon). A number of personnel (including cadets at the military academies) have been cashiered for creating and/or selling porn (mostly using official resources).

Any military force needs credibility, or they are little more than bandits themselves. Abusing people and local customs is a fine way to get labeled as a bandit. Why do you think this prison abuse is being taken so seriously?

Desecration of commonwealth graves in Gaza.

And don't forget that the REAL issue here is that Arab men were humiliated, their masculinity dishonoured, by infidel WOMEN.

This crime against a culture cannot be allowed to stand!

Other that the Irish, I guess this casts a huge pall of moral doubt over all of these other contributing coutries as well:

Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay and Zambia.

No it merely reveals the practical limits of human nature and tolerance.

The genuine substance of the criticism of the US in this is that they should have foreseen such problems, but sadly, as the man said we are 'human, all too human...'

We are all too naive and trusting!
Human nature is a nasty thing!

Huh, what's that you say about the UN? [plugs ears]

la la la la la la la la, I'm not listening!

'Other than the Irish?'

Our chief weapon is Fear.
("and Surprise")
Our TWO chief weapons are Fear and Surprise.
("and Ruthless Efficiency")
Our THREE chief weapons are Fear, Surprise and Ruthless Efficiency.
("and an almost fanatical dedication to the Pope")
Our FOUR chief weapons......

"Other that the Irish, I guess this casts a huge pall of moral doubt over all of these other contributing coutries as well:...."

No, Rex, it points out that the UN leadership is not accountable for their own forces, even if those forces are actually on loan from member countries. The common factor here is "forces deployed under UN sponsorship". The issue is the behavior of UN troops. If those were US troops involved, would this be so calmly reported?

Rex — How big is that peacekeeping force?

but is ethiopian currency soft and absorbent?

I can't imagine getting a successful wipe with a Euro or dollar note.

For gross dereliction of duty in Yugosalvia and Rwanda;

For gross financial incompetence, cronyism and nepotism;

For maintaining lax command in Ethiopia and Eritrea;

Most of all, for being a sanctimonious SOB;

IMPEACH ANNAN

We can do that, right?

The pity of the matter, CurrencyLad, is that we can't.

UNMEE is described as "brigade" strength when you google for it. That's about three battalions with possible supporting elements: call it 3000 head of peacekeeper, all told.

" Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay and Zambia. " — and the Irish.

46 countries into 3000 troops is less than a company each of personnel, from 46 services, doctrines and chains of command.

Neat. A shake-and-bake clusterfuck. What a surprise that they haven't actually done anything yet...

"46 countries into 3000 troops is less than a company each of personnel, from 46 services, doctrines and chains of command.

I misunderstood you, Rex. I Googled this as well....finally. My apologies. All of those countries are represented in UNMEE. Wow, a clusterfuck indeed. I hope that it isn't designed to fail.

Unfortunately, this does cast on cloud on all of the countries involved. I hope that the UNMEE clears this up.....and I would like to see it on more than a small posting on the INTERNET. It deserves more attention, regardless of the nations involved.

Yes, that includes the United States.

The Ethiopians could avoid some of this by not delivering their national currency in rolls.

Isn't it easier to make change that way?

You could have problems with the $AUS1, too.

Interesting that the government thinks using its money as toilet paper is about as immoral as pedophilia. Is there a law against that? Counterfeiting toilet paper?

Should get Jordanian peacekeepers - they just fuck goats.

(Diggers in East Timor called goats "Jordanian war brides")

One could call it a "BB" - a Bable Brigade,

This is exactly what is required, for Journalists to expose REAL, less fashionable atrocities, like those happening in the horn of Africa, and in doing so, expose the highly selective outrage of hypocrites like Kingston, Adams & Co.
How many people here have heard anything about the race riots which took place in Libya in 2002 that killed hundreds? I bet you no-one has, because the Left-wing media, including those who use our public broadcaster as their personal plaything, were probably taking yet another trendy whack at America.