Biden Joins Helms as U.N. Critic

UNITED NATIONS —  A day after Jesse Helms upbraided the U.N., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee joined in the criticism, saying fundamental structural changes are inevitable.

“I know it, you know it, we all know it,” Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware told Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other U.N. officials.

Biden’s message Friday was far less harsh than the sharply worded one delivered Thursday by Sen. Helms (R-N.C.), the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, in a speech to the Security Council.

Congress has imposed a set of conditions--written by Helms and Biden--on payment of nearly $1 billion in delinquent dues that the U.S. owes the world body. Those conditions include a smaller U.S. financial burden in running the U.N.

But Biden, talking to reporters, scoffed at Helms’ assertion that U.S. sovereignty is threatened by the organization.

“He’s absolutely dead wrong. . . . I think it’s crazy. I think it has no relevance to reality, and I don’t think the American people think that,” Biden said.