Source: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/tn03_wamp/un.htmlhttp://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/tn03_wamp/un.html
Date: August 3, 2007

Wamp Denounces U.N. Council for Approving NGOs with Known Terrorist Ties


  

August 3 - Congressman Zach Wamp denounced a United Nations Council upon learning that it granted accreditation to an organization that has been linked to terrorist groups. He introduced the United Nations Economic and Social Council Accountability Act of 2007, which would tie the council’s funding to its ability to weed out terrorist support groups.
“The only power that we have over the United Nations is the power of the purse,” said Congressman Wamp. “We do not want to send U.S. tax dollars to U.N. agencies that provide accreditation to any organization with known ties to terrorist organizations. How can one arm of the United Nations give legitimacy to an organization, and yet another arm includes it on a watch list of groups known to have ties to Al Qaeda?”
International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of economic and social development can apply for “consultative status” with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This bill would essentially withhold a percentage of U.S. contributions to the United Nations in the amount that would be given to the ECOSOC. These funds would be withheld until the Secretary of State determines that the ECOSOC has withdrawn this consultative status for all entities with affiliations to terrorist organizations, as identified by either the United Nations itself or the U.S. Treasury Department.
The ECOSOC granted the Saudi Arabia-based International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) consultative status in 1995. Since then, both the U.S. Treasury Department and the United Nations have designated the IIRO as having financial ties to Al Qaeda. Yet the organization retains its consultative status. 
Cosponsors of the bill include Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee; Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Congressman Scott Garrett of New Jersey and Congressman Cliff Stearns of Florida.