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Seems like only yesterday when the UN's disaster relief chief was chastising America for being too stingy in our efforts to aid tsunami victims last January. Now we know why, thanks to the Financial Times.

According to a report in today's FT, the UN received about $1.1 billion. Of that, some $590 million has been spent. But it seems about a third of that expenditure, some $193 million, was absorbed by UN overhead. And if we weren't so stingy more could go for UN expense accounts and dinners at Delmonicos instead of for relief to disaster victims. Heartless of us, ain't it?

At least most of what we did send to Southeast Asia, including thirty-plus navy ships, tens of thousands of men and thousands of tons of food and water coulcn't be deposited in UN accounts. The UN: always there when they need us.