Just whose side is President Joe Biden on?
There are reports that Biden is considering rejoining a UN agency that supports the nuclear ambitions of US enemies such as Iran and North Korea!
Fox News is reporting that “UN insiders” are warning that the Biden administration might be seeking to rejoin a controversial UN agency based in the same Vienna, the sight of recent discussions on the Iran nuclear deal.
The agency, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), has been accused of helping US enemies through the transfer of dual-use technology that observers say has helped the likes of Iran and North Korea in developing their nuclear programs.
The US quit the agency over 20 years ago, citing it as not being fit for any useful purpose, but recent rumblings of a US return has some diplomats scratching their heads. A former Ambassador who has accreditation in all international organizations in Vienna, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “Diplomatic circles in Vienna are abuzz about the possible return of the US to UNIDO.”
The anonymous former ambassador said, “it’s believed the amount of money owed in accrued arrears would be US$ 1B, given that when the US left in 1996, it did so without paying its $100-million in dues.”
The diplomat recommended that with the installation of a new US Ambassador to Vienna dealing with international organizations, Laura Holgate, should “request the personnel list of UNIDO, which has about 1800 consultants, including those hired without a transparent and competitive process and working remotely from their home countries. It is long overdue to comprehensively investigate and publish why UNIDO, which is considered both marginal and useless by the Anglosphere states, should employ 1800 permanent consultants, apart from the 650 permanent staff?”
Despite the controversy, the UN Mission to Vienna recently praised UNIDO in a Tweet, also noting that while not a member, the US has given millions of dollars to the divisive organization since 2012, which came through the US Agency for International Aid (USAID).
Fox News confirmed the veracity of that dollar amount with USAID; however, the spokesman for the organization would not directly answer questions about sharing dual-use technologies with US foes like Iran and North Korea by UNIDO.
The potential US return to UNIDO sparked sharp criticism from President Trump’s former US National Security Advisor, John Bolton, and additional UN and national security experts.
Bolton told Fox News, “The US withdrew from UNIDO, as did a number of other developed countries because UNIDO was widely viewed as ineffective. Nothing has changed that warrants reversing the US decision.”
Brett D. Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation, and a leading expert on UNIDO, told Fox News, “As the US concluded in the 1990s when it withdrew, UNIDO does not have a clear purpose and does not contribute to US foreign policy, economic, or development interests.”
Schaefer added that the Biden administration could be in violation of US law if it rejoins UNIDO.
“In 2018, the Palestinians joined UNIDO as full members. Under US law, UN specialized agencies that admit the PLO as a member are prohibited from receiving US funding,” Schaefer said. “If the US has provided funding since 2018, I believe that would violate the law.”
Comments are closed.