WASHINGTON (AP) - House members angered by the ouster of the United States from the U.N. Commission on Human Rights exacted some revenge Thursday by voting convincingly to withhold some back U.N. dues until America is restored to the panel.

The Bush administration opposed that action, but GOP leaders championed the fight to punish the international organization. The most visible backers of the White House position were Democrats.

``I implore my colleagues,'' said Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas. ``If you believe in the cause of liberty, freedom, safety, security, respect and decency, vote yes for this amendment. Send the world a message: America cares and America dares to stand up for any lost soul beleaguered and tortured in any part of this world at any time.''

The vote was 252-165 for the measure that would allow one payment of $582 million in back dues but hold back an additional $244 million until the United States is back on the human rights panel. An initial $100 million back-dues payment occurred last year.

The provision was attached to the State Department spending authorization bill for 2002-2003. A House vote on that bill is expected next week, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is still writing its version. The provision could be changed or eliminated if the Bush administration ``weighs in more heavily'' during the lengthy lawmaking process, said International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill.

...

``This is a deliberate attempt to punish the United States for its insistence that we tell the truth about human rights abuses wherever they occur, including in those countries represented on the commission, such as China and Cuba,'' Hyde said, calling on Congress to send a return message.

At U.N. headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, ``Obviously I cannot applaud the withholding or the attachment to the $244 million, but I am told it was the best we could get.''

``I hope at the end of the day when all is said and done that they will find a way of removing that as well,'' he said. ``I think the solution is not attachments, not punishing the U.N., but working with the other member states.''

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Wednesday that President Bush ``feels strongly that this issue should not be linked to the payment of our arrears to the U.N. and other international organizations,'' But Hyde said after the vote that the administration never contacted him or Lantos.

Several Democrats sided with Bush.

``How can we expect the United Nations to improve its performance, or to respect us if we go back on our word and refuse to pay our bills?'' asked Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said it would ``break our contract'' under which the U.S. portions of U.N. dues and peacekeeping expenses are being reduced. ``This is wrong, and I think we would be ashamed if our children acted in this manner.''

After the vote, White House spokesman Sean McCormack said: ``Our position is we're committed to paying our arrears. To do otherwise now would undermine what we're doing at the U.N. and our credibility as a negotiating partner.''

Secretary of State Colin Powell told a House subcommittee Thursday that he was upset by the U.S. exclusion from the human rights panel but ``we should not now try to find a way to punish the U.N.'' He urged Congress to show ``a little more restraint.''

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That's pretty pathetic.. at least some people there have sense..

Money spend by the United States for it's military : 16 000 000 000 dollars.
Money whitheld by the United States from the U.N.: 244 000 000 dollars.

*Punches Redrover*

Lokil --� Realizes that Redrover is probably 5 inches taller and twice as heavy than Lokil and get his neck broken.

Now, now, settle down boys..

If I don't pay my bills, I get thrown out. If the US doesn't pay its bills, it.. whines about wanting to be back on a committee it got *voted off* of. Hell, the US shouldn't be allowed on any councils or committees until it pays up..

Well apparently the U.S. stopped paying it's back dues because it was kicked off a few UN comitties. But then how can a country that calls itself "the best and richest country in the world" have any back dues?

why are we doing this? Simply stated: Because we can.

I'm sure that we will eventually get back in and we'll pay our dues (sometime)

But one thing that i would point out is the fact that we still spend alot on our military...ya know why?...The only thing peace has to offer is war....war stimulates economy, creates jobs, and cuts down on the overpopulation of earth...if we really were in for a war, do you think a bunch of people who cant speak the same language are going to do a damn thing?...no....

keep up the good work america....we're just big brother flexing our muscles once again...come on now...live with it...do something constructive with your lives...dont worry about the escalating situation in where-the-fuck...do something that will do something for you....hell if its worrying about the situation in where-ever then go for it...probably wont do you any good or provide any closure but i guess some people need to learn the hard way

You know, that's the same can do attitude that the Nazi's used to take over europe.

yeah and if it wasn't for us with that attitude;

you'd be speaking german.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redrover:
You know, that's the same can do attitude that the Nazi's used to take over europe.

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Hmmm... I thought the attitude was that the defeat of world war one was due to the jews and that the aryans needed to take their place as masters of the slavic peoples in their quest for lebensraum.

quote:

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Originally posted by Redrover:
Money spend by the United States for it's military : 16 000 000 000 dollars.
Money whitheld by the United States from the U.N.: 244 000 000 dollars.

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You've got to put this in perspective. For the American viewing audience an air war Has to be the only thing more entertaining than sweeps, The UN however is boring, like c-span boring and without actual power.

You know what, I've got an idea for Lokil. We take a few hundred immigrants, we put them on an island wired with cameras and we make thm compeat in deadly stunts and the last one alive gets a green card or something. We can broadcast it on prime time TV and call it something like Survivor!