U.S. warns U.N. funding may be cut

Threat comes as General Assembly eyes creation of Palestinian state

If the United Nations General Assembly in September votes for a Palestinian state through a rarely used Uniting for Peace resolution, the United States would consider withdrawing its funding of the international behemoth, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

The Obama administration issued the warning after members of the U.S. Congress threatened to cut off further U.N. funding if the General Assembly holds such a vote.

The Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, has stated that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have gone nowhere, and it may seek a path to statehood that effectively would be an end-run around the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. probably would cast a veto. To establish statehood, the PA could invoke the Uniting for Peace resolution and make an appeal directly to the U.N. General Assembly. If a majority of the 192 members vote to take up the resolution, two-thirds of the members would need to approve the measure, which would override any Security Council veto.

Palestinians believe they are close to obtaining such a vote, but the General Assembly does not have the power to confer U.N. membership on a new Palestinian state, which would make the vote symbolic.

However, if the General Assembly holds the vote, Republican members of the U.S. Congress have threatened to introduce legislation to withdraw further U.S. funding of the United Nations.

The U.S. provides about 25 percent of the U.N.'s annual $2.5 billion budget, making the U.S. contribution almost $600 million.

The Obama administration wants to avoid such a confrontation in the U.N. this September when the issue is expected to be taken up. The administration is attempting now to get peace talks restarted, but that appears unlikely due to continued settlement construction by Israel on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, two areas which could be included in a new Palestinian state, as well as the Gaza Strip.

For the rest of this report, and other Intelligence Briefs, please go to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin:

Israel/Latin America: Tel Aviv applying pressure against statehood
Saudi Arabia/Iran: Riyadh getting sea-based missiles
Egypt: Al-Qaida filling Sinai security vacuum
Pakistan: Concern over Islamists growing in its military ranks
Afghanistan/United States: No bases here
China/Israel: Warmer relations raise U.S. concerns

Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe withJoseph Farah's G2 Bulletin