SURFSIDE, Texas - US Representative Ron Paul (R-Surfside) today described possible involvement by the United Nations in a Brazoria County law enforcement/civil rights issue as "completely improper and totally unconscionable." Paul lives in Brazoria County, and the 14^th District includes portions of that county, including the county seat of Angleton, and the cities of Surfside, Freeport, Clute, Richwood, West Columbia, Damon, Sweeny and Brazoria.

According to news sources, the United Nations was to hear testimony on Thursday regarding a 1996 incident allegedly involving prisoners being beaten by law enforcement officers in the Brazoria County Detention Center.

"We don't know exactly what has happened, but it would be appropriate for an investigation to take place. However, it is unthinkable that the United Nations should have any say whatsoever in this affair," said Paul. "Here in Texas we have the Texas Rangers, who are charged to deal with official corruption and abuses. The Rangers are the absolute best law enforcement agency in the world; they, or a similar agency, should handle this affair, not a bunch of one-world-government activists living in Europe."

Paul said there is nothing in the US Constitution which authorizes a foreign government to investigate the actions of local officials.

"According to our Constitution, it is exclusively the responsibility and duty of state and local governments to make criminal laws, investigate crimes, and punish instances of official abuses of power. To say the UN has some right even to comment, let alone investigate and 'admonish' the United States, in reference to this or anything we do is completely contrary to the very basic concept of national sovereignty."

Representative Paul said UN involvement in this case is the "logical outgrowth" of US meddling - under the banner of the UN - in the internal affairs of other nations, and the national government meddling in the matters reserved by the constitution exclusively to the states.

"If we were not so quick to violate the sovereignty of other nations and get ourselves involved in their internal problems, we would not have to worry about them wanting to meddle in ours. Given how often we've arbitrarily sent US troops in to 'monitor' situations in other countries, I wouldn't be surprised if the UN decided someday to put blue berets on our deputies and run the sheriff's department from UN Security Council. It would be completely consistent with how we have intervened in other countries."

Paul pointed out that currently US and other nations' troops, under the leadership of a UN task-force, have taken over police-functions in Bosnia as part of the ongoing operation in that country.