When the UN is in charge, it means it's not a specific country that takes the blame, but an international institution. This makes it a lot easier for every country taking part to the UN forces.
And it shows it works: you keep blaming the UN all the time for just about anything that doesn't quite go as fast as you'd like.

I'm sure no american will ever think the spaniards are less courageous than they are, will they?
Spain almost went through a coup d'etat when a group of generals stormed into the parliament (1980?), but King Juan Carlos saved the day. 900 spaniards lost their life because of ETA terrorism , since 1976.
Spain joined the EEC and its living standards is progressing even faster than the original EEC countries, even today.
If the spaniards punished their prime minister because he tried to manipulate their opinion, it's a sign of great democratic vitality.

Raoul