U.S. Refusal to Pay Dues

Are we becoming an outlaw nation? It was bad enough when we thumbed our nose at the decision of the International Court at The Hague that we had illegally mined Nicaragua’s harbor. Now we don’t pay our debts. We are in arrears and owe at least six international organizations (United Nations, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, North American Development Bank,) some $2 billion (Feb. 21).

The latest is that “we will not show up” when the World Trade Organization, with which we lodge more complaints about foreign trade practices than are filed against us, hears a European challenge to our threat to penalize foreign companies which do business with Cuba. Is this the way for the leading “law and order” nation to act? We may be right that the Helms-Burton Act, which authorizes the penalties, is a “national security” and not a “trade practice” measure and that when we impose a trade embargo, we are acting in self-defense and not interfering with international trade, but the Europeans feel otherwise. For us to flout the channels for settling such disputes is inexcusable.

FRED OKRAND

Sherman Oaks