President George W. Bush speaks to the UN on the same day as Iranian strongman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. When asked if he would meet with Ahmadinejad while at the United Nations, Mr. Bush replied firmly, "No, I will not meet with him." Correct answer. But neither should Mr. Bush grace the same podium that hosts the leader of a state sponsor of terrorism, and which is providing support to Shia militias in Iraq to attack U.S. military personnel.
One would think that the UN would deny a microphone to a leader who vows to destroy another member state of the United Nations. But since logic and political courage are in short supply in Turtle Bay, Mr. Bush should protest the use of our dues to underwrite such hostility.
Led by John Bolton, the United States convinced the UN Security Council to adopt Resolution 1696 which demands that Iran "suspend all [uranium] enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development." This is the single provision the United States requires before entering negotiations with Iran over their nuclear ambitions. But when Ahmadinejad ignored the Security Council, he was rewarded with a visit from Kofi Annan, which only split a united world community.
After the 9/11 attacks, Kofi Annan wrote in the New York Times, that “the international community is defined not only by what it is for, but by what and whom it is against. The United Nations must have the courage to recognize that just as there are common aims, there are common enemies.”
President Bush should have used this opportunity to challenge Kofi Annan's sincerity on that statement and help the United Nations set a new course that no longer tolerates terrorist states, their acquisition of weapons of mass destruction, and their overt threats to other member states. For reform of the policies and procedures at the UN is meaningless until the people who run the place reform their mindset.
A visit from the President of the United States – for any individual or any institution – is a coveted prize. Mr. Bush's leverage in exacting meaningful change from the UN would have been to withhold his presence from their annual meeting.
By doing so, he would have defended the honor of his nation. But by attending the UN's General Assembly, he gives the UN no reason to reform, no reason to set higher standards for membership and responsible behavior on the world stage. Another lost opportunity.
Thomas P. Kilgannon serves as the president of Freedom Alliance, a Townhall.com Gold partner.