PRESIDENT CLINTON defended the UN, attacked America's traditional enemies and trumpeted his foreign policy achievements in his address to the UN General Assembly yesterday.
Praising the role of the UN in preserving peace and dealing with refugees, Mr Clinton criticised those in the US the Republican dominated Congress who "have made it difficult for the United States to meet its financial obligations to the UN".
Republicans say the US should not pay its debts until the UN introduced reforms to make it more efficient.
Mr Clinton said the US was the largest financial contributor to the UN, and was "committed to paying off our accrued obligations soon". The UN reform programme must continue, however.
"The vast majority of Americans support the United Nations not just because it reflects our ideals but because it reinforces our interests," he went on.
Those who did not had a "longing to be free of the world's problems" and were preoccupied with the problems of America.
He said the member states had not committed themselves strongly enough "to a coalition of zero tolerance for aggression, terrorism and lawless behaviour
States that "refuse to play by the rules of civilised behaviour should be isolated, he said.
"As long as Iraq threatens its neighbours and its people, as long as Iran supports and protects terrorists, as long as Libya refuses to give up the people who blew up Pan Am 103, they cannot become full members of the family of nations."
Iran's seats in the Assembly hall were empty during Mr Clinton's speech.
The President listed examples of where the world was moving in the right direction effectively the issues he sees as his major foreign policy successes.
"In Bosnia, where the war is over and just ten days ago its people went to the polls in peace. Now we must help Bosnia build a unified, democratic, peaceful future.
"In Haiti, where the dictators are gone, democracy is back and the exodus of refugees has ended. Now we must help the Haitian people seize the full benefits of freedom and forge a more prosperous future.
"In the Middle East, where we have promoted handshakes of victory and in Northern Ireland, where we have made progress towards a lasting peace. Now we must broaden the circle of peace to include more of Israel's neighbours, and we must help give the children of Belfast the chance to live out normal lives."
He said that Europe's new democracies in central Europe should be welcomed into NATO. It was necessary to "strengthen NATO's partnership with Russia and build a secure, undivided Europe".
Calling for efforts to reduce the demand for drugs Mr Clinton said the US would do its part. Next week, he said, he would target more than $100 million (£62.5 million) worth of military equipment, services and training to Mexico, Colombia and other South American and Caribbean countries for the fight against drugs.