Remember how the UN earlier this year reformed its so-called Human Rights Commission? The UN replaced it with the re-labeled Human Rights Council, the promise being to put an end to such perversions as Libya three years ago chairing the meetings. Well, in some ways, Libya never left. From a Geneva-based monitoring group, UN Watch, comes a reminder of the Libya connections of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the right to food — Swiss socialist, Jean Ziegler. While serving as a UN eminence on food, Ziegler has exalted terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, and urged boycotts of Israel (here is some background on his 2004 letter to Caterpillar, Inc.). But the punch-line is, Ziegler serves as vice-chairman of an outfit that hands out — get ready for this — the lucrative “Moammar Khaddafi Human Rights Prize.” According to UN Watch, this prize was set up by Libya’s dictator in 1989, “with Mr. Ziegler’s help,” and winners have included Louis Farrakhan, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. …Ummm, where were we before this tale of UN human-rights endeavors defaulted to the twilight zone? Oh yes, Ziegler is in New York this week to offer the UN General Assembly his expertise on who deserves free food.
… And, speaking of Chavez and the UN General Assembly, the latest news on the contest between Guatemala and Chavez’s Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for a two-year seat on the UN Security Council is that the General Assembly remains deadlocked this evening after four days and 41 rounds of voting. With a two-thirds majority of those voting needed to end this showdown, the good news is that Guatemala remains in the lead. The bad news is that Venezuela in the latest round received 82 votes. In other words, the UN — the same UN that Condi Rice is hoping will cope with nuclear-happy North Korea and Iran — is an outfit where more than 40% of the member states think having Hugo Chavez on the Security Council is a great idea.
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1. Scott Davison:That is wonderful.
I am reminded of the 1997 Unicef report that tied the deaths of some 500,000 children 5 years-old and younger to the sanctions on Iraq. This report is not mentioned much anymore but I believe that in the light of our new understanding of the oil-for-food mess, the combination of the two occupations of the UN can be compared to using radiation therapy on a patient while shielding the cancer itself from radiation. It served to ensure that the damage was focused on the innocent while Sadaam was able, and even helped, to accomplish his business.
And today we see that Hans Blix is making critical comments about the United State’s failure in Iraq while it can be said that it was incumbent upon himself and the UN to answer the question about WMD and their failure to do so set the stage for Bush to assume the responsibility. If the sanctions had been handled responsibly, would the war have been necessary?
It’s nice, though, to know that the Ziegler and the UN are looking out for the little guy…
Oct 26, 2006 - 2:07 pm 2. Alex Reed:There must be something untoward in the jubilee vodka being served at the UN these days. They’re all acting up, and acting out.
Oct 26, 2006 - 3:40 pmMr. Ziegler’s appearance at the UN’s fire and brimstone rostrum should be a treat. One interesting tidbit to add: while El Z is, indeed, vice-president of the group of organizations, Nord-Sud XXI, that oversees the Khaddafi Prize awards (one wonders what other humanitarian efforts they are behind?!), he is also the 2002 recipient of said prize! Yup, $200K+, rather like shifting spare change from one pocket to another. Pretty neat.
But never let it be said that the UN does not offer variety of entertainment as we dance on the edge of the precipice. Today’s Wall Street Journal, in its Review & Outlook section, brings news of a perennial UN favorite, Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of that merry band of thespians, the IAEA. Read it all, it’s brill: (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116182795285804202.html?mod=opinion&ojcontent=otep).
El B seems now to be angling for the Jimmy Carter Meddlesome Foreign Policy Award, or is it the Bill Clinton I Feel Your Pain Award….. For our information, El B notes that North Korea is only messing with those nasty toys because, “they feel isolated, they feel they are not getting the security they need.” As for Iran, “the jury is still out on whether they are developing a nuclear weapon.” Sound familiar? Rewind to the year of your choice; same tune. El B has also turfed out the IAEA chief weapons inspector for Iran, Chris Charlier, after the hapless fellow opined publicly that he thought that Iran was determined to build a nuclear weapon. And remember El B’s meddling before the 2004 US Presidential Election? Same old, same old. Here’s my question: After all their past experience with El B, why, oh, why did Condi Rice and the White House ignore John Bolton’s advice, and instead support El B for a third term as head of the IAEA? Stupidity? Imprudence? Denial of reality? Magical thinking? Who is making the decisions here?