TED LAPKIN: Morally Depraved UN Has No Right To Preach.

Thuggish despot who slaughters peaceful protesters in the streets, or global guardian of human rights? The United Nations can’t seem to make up its mind where Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is concerned.

This week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was expressing “grave concern” over Assad’s decision to set loose his tanks on unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators. But Ban then declined to intervene in the coming elections at the UN Human Rights Council, where Syria is a shoo-in for a new three-year term.

Scheduled for mid-May, these elections have about as much suspense as polling day in … well … Damascus. As one of the four candidate nations vying for the four open slots allocated to the Asia group, Syria’s election to the council is all but assured.

Given its own dubious record, you’d think the council might hesitate before setting itself up as a moral arbiter.

And yet, it does not.