THE NATION: Editorial & Opinion ; P

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Subject: THE NATION: Editorial & Opinion ; PEOPLE WATCH:

Editorial & Opinion 
PEOPLE WATCH:

UNITED NATIONS - How much is that doggie at the United Nations? About
US$150,000 a year, according to a UN spokeswoman. The cost of the
bomb-sniffing
UN canine was raised by Ambassador Nazareth Incera of Costa Rica at a meeting
of the General Assembly's ''watchdog'' administrative and financial
committee. 
Indignant that the number of security guards assigned to Assembly President
Didier Opertti of Uruguay had been reduced to one from two, she wanted to make
the point that the UN was not on such a short financial leash as generally
supposed. The UN lacked resources, she was told, but she understood it spent
$150,000 a year on a security dog. 
A UN spokeswoman said the current UN budget provided for a bomb-sniffing dog
and handler at a cost of $60 an hour. They are scheduled to work as many as 10
hours a day, during 252 days of the year, for a total of $151,200. 
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