Helms Ends Opposition to Platt

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) said today he would no longer block the nomination of Nicholas Platt to be U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, ending a two-month delay in Senate action on the nominee.

In May, Helms accused Platt of opposing former U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick’s 1982 effort to reduce U.S. contributions to the world body in proportion to U.N. help to the Palestine Liberation Organization. But Helms backed down today when Platt, who was a State Department official at the time, defended himself at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying he had pointed out then that he believed money already earmarked by Congress could not be withheld.