In a September 29 editorial, The Washington Times attacked the United Nations over the reportedly false story that the U.N. recently appointed an “ambassador to aliens,” stating that “this appointment of an ambassador to aliens proves once again that the international body's priorities are lost in space.”

Later in the editorial, despite admitting that "[l]ate reports indicated that the United Nations might not actually be seeking to expand its mandate beyond the stratosphere," the Times wrote: "[T]he fact that the story was so readily accepted underscores the reputation of the world body as a center for triviality and bureaucratic excess."

From the Times editorial, titled, “The spaced-out U.N.”:

News spread at light speed this week that the United Nations appointed an official greeter for aliens visiting Earth. Malaysian astrophysicist Mazlan Othman, head of the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs, was given the task of shaking the hands, claws, tentacles, antennae or other appendages (if any) of extraterrestrials who decide to drop in. With world peace and the global economy limping along on vapors, this appointment of an ambassador to aliens proves once again that the international body's priorities are lost in space. Then again, perhaps this outreach to the final frontier isn't all bad if it distracts U.N. space cadets from some of their misguided missions on this planet.

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Late reports indicated that the United Nations might not actually be seeking to expand its mandate beyond the stratosphere. But the fact that the story was so readily accepted underscores the reputation of the world body as a center for triviality and bureaucratic excess. The matter remains open who will be the first person to greet the aliens once they arrive, though it's possible they already walk among us. Darth Vader would fit in pretty well with other colleagues from the Dark Side who sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council, which includes representatives from such liberty-loving places as Cuba, China, Libya and Saudi Arabia.