New York Times obtuseness and UN—boosting are both on display in one ridiculous pragraph today. The Times again goes to bat for the discredited United Nations. After deep—sixing innumerable reports illustrating UN incompetence, bias, and corruption the Times continues its usual propaganda efforts on behalf of the  United (against America) Nations:

The United States has lost a couple of thousand of soldiers and spent billions of dollars to liberate Iraq from a genocidal maniac and try to bring human rights to the Iraqis. Yet, who does the NYTimes give undue credit to? The United Nations. In one paragraph, their nonsensical manipulation of the facts is self—evident:

United Nations has been a crucial adviser in the American—backed political process unfolding in Iraq and has a small staff helping to organize the Dec. 15 elections for a full, four—year government. Its Baghdad headquarters has been closed since a truck bombing in August 2003 killed 22 staff members, including the chief United Nations representative in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. 

Let me get this pretzel "logic" clear. The UN is CRUCIAL, yet it has a SMALL staff and its  Iraq headquarters has been CLOSED for over two years.
 
Those few UN officials must be superhuman — a revelation that would come as a surprise to anyone who knows the history of Rwanda, the UN Human Rights Commission, Kosovo, the oil—for food scandal, the sex discrimination cases against UN higher—ups, the rape charges against UN "peacekeepers" in  West Africa, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
 
Ed Lasky  11 13 05