U.N. Chief's Dealings With U.S. Draw Fire

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Source: Washington Post

Ban Sees Himself as a Pragmatist, but Some Critics Say He Is Too Pro-American

UNITED NATIONS -- When U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon first approached President Bush at the White House in January to muster support for a U.N. climate-change initiative, the president's response was cool: An impatient Bush reminded Ban that he did not want to restrain U.S. industries, and that past accords unfairly exempted major polluters such as China and India. "He was not that favorably inclined," Ban conceded in an interview last week.

But Ban kept at it, cajoling Bush in phone calls and meetings, urging him to at least attend a dinner with other world leaders to discuss the issue. Finally, Bush relented. "I'll be there, I'll be there," he reassured Ban in a phone conversation earlier this month. The dinner will be held Monday.

Since becoming U.N. chief in January, Ban has demonstrated a rare ability to nudge the White House, on issues such as increased U.S. funds for U.N. peacekeeping, action against Sudan and climate change. In turn, Ban has repaid the favor, opposing calls for a swift U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and committing to a beefed-up U.N. presence in Baghdad. "He's his own person, but his instincts often coincide with what we think is the right thing to do," said a senior Bush administration official.

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Ban has faced fierce challenges to his authority, both inside and outside the organization. The Group of 77, a bloc of about 130 developing countries, says Ban has been too deferential to U.S. policies, and it has battled his efforts to shut down departments dealing with disarmament and poverty.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/23/AR2007092301250.html?hpid=topnews

[Paulie]

1. Wow, we trade U.S. movement on climate change for more dead Iraqi's

What a deal maker this Ban Ki-moon is.