Positive force

While the U.S. may be going out of its way to undermine the legitimacy of the United Nations, other states still take the U.N. seriously. Take, for instance, Iran:

Iran agreed late Monday to a two-day delay in reopening its nuclear processing plant here after receiving a request from the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency.

Mohammed ElBaradei asked Tehran for a "maximum of two days" to send its inspectors to Iran's nuclear facility where they can oversee the dismantling of UN seals, said Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

With observation in place, both Iran and the international community are better off: Iran is able to resume operations at its plant with somewhat less worry about repercussions, while the presence of inspectors will help the rest of us to know what is and isn't going on at the facility.

Which is good news for everybody except those who depend on fear of the unknown to impose their will on the world.