US House bars funding for UN rights council (AFP)

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

US House bars funding for UN rights council

54 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US House of Representatives moved to
prohibit US funding of the UN Human Rights Council, derided by
one member as a "poisonous talk shop," as part of a mammoth
funding bill passed early Friday.

The United States has repeatedly expressed frustration with the
council over its rules, targets for monitoring -- including US ally
Israel -- and the way it conducts business.

The amendment, to a measure funding the State Department and
US diplomacy, passed by unanimous voice vote, and prevents US
funding for the overall United Nations budget from being used for
the council's 15 million dollar annual operations.

"We were right to refuse to dignify that poisonous talk-shop
with our membership, and we must refuse to support it with our
tax dollars," said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top
Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070622/pl_afp/uspoliticsunrights_070622153555