Stardate 20030425.2045

(On Screen): Boy, you can't put one over on the UN. Now that Saddam is gone, the UN Human Rights Commission has condemned his regime for its abuse of human rights.

The resolution focusing on Saddam's regime won support from 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, European and Latin American nations.

It condemned the "all-pervasive repression and oppression sustained by broad-based discrimination and widespread terror" during Saddam's rule.

The commission also extended for a year the mandate of a U.N. investigator consistently banned from visiting Iraq when Saddam was in power and asks him to report to the commission next year, "focusing on newly available information about violations ... by the government of Iraq over many years."

And what do they propose to do about it? That's easy: investigate the United States for its role in removing Saddam from power and ending his reign of terror.

Critics including China, Libya, Cuba and South Africa said resolution put to the commission by European nations, the United States and Canada was one-sided and failed to address the coalition's role during the war and as an occupying power since Saddam's ouster.

"This resolution is shameful," said Cuban representative Juan Antonio Fernandez. "This is a case of foreign occupation."

Cuba, Malaysia and Zimbabwe voted against the resolution. Twelve countries abstained. Six including China and South Africa refused to vote, saying they would not be associated with any decision.

It might be wondered exactly why Cuba and Zimbabwe are members of the Human Rights Commission. Of course, it might be wondered why Libya was leading it. Perhaps the UN needed experts on infringement of human rights; if so, it got sure them.

It might also be wondered why the US is giving this process the time of day, let alone cooperating with it. Fortunately, we aren't cooperating with it.

Step #2: Not cooperating with the sanctions or the oil-for-food program.