PAYBACK TIME AT THE U.N.

The ouster of the United States from the U.N. Human Rights
Commission, a seat it has held since the panel's creation in 1947,
amounts to a tantrum by U.S. detractors. Nonetheless, an effort by
lawmakers in the House to withhold some overdue payments to the U.N.
is ill advised.

In addition to being booted from the Human Rights Commission, the
United States also lost a seat on the International Narcotics Control
Board, a drug monitoring body. Not only traditional U.S. foes but
also allies, including France, voted to remove the United States from
these panels.

The ouster of the United States would be laughable if the potential
consequences weren't so serious. While the United States has been
denied a seat, serial human rights abusers such as China, Sudan,
Cuba, Libya and Syria have seats reserved in Geneva. China and Cuba,
in fact, helped orchestrate the vote to eject the United States,
their primary accuser on the commission.

But this move was not simply a coup by an alliance of nations who
mistreat their citizens. It also reflects annoyance among allies over
what they view as arrogance, isolationism and an unwillingness to be
a team member on a variety of significant issues.

In recent years, the United States has refused to support a treaty
banning land mines, a comprehensive nuclear test ban, an
international court to try war-crimes suspects and a treaty
regulating use of the sea. And President Bush upset European partners
by pulling out of the Kyoto global warming accord and by pressing
forward with a new missile defense system.

And, of course, the United States is years late in paying its U.N.
dues. More than $580 million remain bottled up in the House despite
an agreement in December to pay them.

Last week, the House responded to the U.S. ouster from the Human
Rights Commission by voting to withhold some of those overdue
payments. The money would not be paid until the United States regains
the seat.

But that approach is counterproductive, more of what led to this
disagreement in the first place. President Bush opposes the House
block on paying U.N. dues and has urged the Senate to reverse it.
Secretary of State Colin Powell echoed the president's view, urging
restraint and telling a House subcommittee that "we should not now
try to find a way to punish the U.N."

There is a middle ground between blindly supporting international
treaties and going it alone as the unassailable superpower. That
would entail a better effort at building multinational alliances -
something that will be hard to do until the post of U.N. ambassador
has been filled.

Meanwhile, however, the United States should not withhold dues or
take other steps to exacerbate the situation. Instead, U.S. officials
should redouble efforts to increase cooperation among allies to help
make the U.N. the voice for human rights and democracy it could be.