tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194212922024-03-23T14:10:54.821-04:00Deadline PunditPolitics, books, history, foreign affairs, Caribbean, Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Iraq, China, Britain, United Nations, Oil For Food, Bush the Deserter, sex and rum and 1776 and tequilla and lots of fun things from someone who has more columns than the Parthenon.Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.comBlogger858125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-74685822761858664772023-06-30T11:49:00.001-04:002023-06-30T11:49:18.318-04:00Chinese Whispers<p> https://www.youtube.com/live/432fKLGdy_4?feature=share</p><p><br /></p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-25085186785539413532022-05-27T09:22:00.002-04:002022-05-27T09:22:19.412-04:00It's the Law! Whether Russia or the US!<p> Ian Williams</p><p><br /></p><p>WRMEA June July 2022</p><p> WHETHER THE UNITED NATIONS can survive this “Special Military Operation” on a member state is a moot point. The invasion of Ukraine is a direct challenge to the whole 1945 world order enshrined in the U.N. Charter. And that is not good news for people like the Palestinians, whose advocates and diplomats have invoked the “unique legitimacy” of the U.N. and its refusal to authorize Israel’s acquisition of territory by force. The closest parallel is the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, where the U.N.’s response was entirely legal if perhaps ill-advised in subcontracting the details to the klutzes in Washington.</p><p>No friend of the Palestinians should wield “What about?” to justify Vladimir Putin’s illegal aggression on Ukraine, let alone the illegal and inhumane ways in which he has waged that war. But it is indeed legitimate to raise the questions in Washington, although the purpose should be to hitch Palestinian issues to the Ukrainian bandwagon, not to give Putin a “Get-out-of-The-Hague-Free” card in the Superpower monopoly game.</p><p>For half a century, the U.S. veto has vitiated the Palestinian cause at the U.N., so it was almost a coming of age for Moscow when the General Assembly vote on Russia’s veto against the Ukraine Security Council Resolution was as badly supported as previous U.S. vetoes on behalf of Israel.</p><p>However, U.S. diplomats—and media— were making no such odious comparisons as they crowed about Putin’s lack of support. Admittedly the reportage usually added (very) small print to the self-congratulations, that General Assembly resolutions are “not legally binding.” Archivists in the State Department could remind them that the reason for their alleged lack of effect is that for 30 years the U.S. has eroded their standing by declaring them as “not legally binding.”</p><p>That was, of course, because most such resolutions condemned U.S. vetoes protecting Israel. In the U.S. presentations, somehow the General Assembly resolution partitioning mandatory Palestine and setting up a Jewish state was indeed as binding and unalterable as the Laws of the Medes and Persians. But then, the Uniting for Peace resolutions were legally effective enough to fight the Korean War— until Palestine resurrected the procedure and Washington denigrated it.</p><p>Washington is not alone in suffocating in the stink of its own hypocrisy. Russia claims its veto from the U.N. Charter, whose core principle is a ban on “the acquisition of territory by force” accompanying the principle that all sovereign states are equal. Of course, the veto means that some states are more equal than others, but the U.N. Charter did not give Russia a permanent seat on the Security Council. That privilege belonged to the U.S.S.R., which was with Ukraine (and Belarus!), a founding member of the U.N. in 1945. The U.S.S.R. dissolved in 1991, after which Moscow usurped the seat. There was no formal vote on it, but the diplomatic identity theft went unchallenged, but not un-noticed, at the time. U.N. diplomats did discuss it but, like abuse within the family, decided that discretion was the best path.</p><p>Even so, albeit 30 years on, it is a useful point to make against Putin’s specious legalism of a “special military operation” against a state he claims is not really a country. However, it is not practical to remove Moscow from the Security Council, although Russia’s removal from the Human Rights Council sets an interesting precedent for a challenge to its delegation’s credentials for the General Assembly. </p><p>Secretariat inactivity apart, U.N. agencies of every description have responded to the war with material help and facilitated the rescue of civilians under siege by Russian forces, but U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has ducked the chance to “name and shame” and has instead been the soul of wriggly circumspection. That might have been acceptable if he were keeping his powder dry ready for a big diplomatic push. A U.N. Secretary-General has a role, indeed a duty, to provide a ladder for preposterous politicians like Putin to climb down from the tree in which they have trapped themselves.</p><p>Sadly, it took several months to get Guterres to attend to the war in person, without a ladder, and then only after hundreds of former and present U.N. luminaries signed a letter demanding action. When he went to the region, he raised eyebrows—and hackles—by calling on Putin first rather than the obvious victim. The Russians showed their appreciation by rocketing Kyiv within hours of Guterres landing there. Anyone who thinks that was an accident will maintain that the Black Sea flagship Moskva was hit by a stray iceberg. Belatedly Guterres gave the firm U.N. position that “in line with the resolutions passed by the General Assembly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a violation of its territorial integrity and against the Charter of the United Nations.” He added “There is one thing that is true and obvious, and that no arguments can change: We have not Ukrainian troops in the territory of the Russian Federation, but we have Russian</p><p>troops in the territory of [Ukraine].”</p><p>During the war, Russian troops have breached numerous international conventions with attacks on civilians, in voluntary transfers of population, looted cultural property and so on ad infinitum. Whatever you think of Russian military prowess, it is not a People’s War as Mao or Ho Chi Minh preached, and, as far as winning hearts and minds go, the Russophone Ukrainians in the East, who have borne the brunt of the Special Military Operation, have been vociferously inveighing against their aspirant liberators—in Russian.</p><p>One small bright spot was the successful move by Liechtenstein, ironically endorsed by the U.S., to trigger a General Assembly vote whenever a permanent member casts a veto. Almost ironically as he looked around at the ruins Russia had wrought of the U.N. Charter and the post-World War II settlement, Moscow’s representative claimed that “the division of powers between the Assembly and the Council has allowed the United Nations to function effectively for more than 75 years.” This “effectiveness” is indeed news to millions of people from Indochina to the Congo, the Balkans and the Middle East, whose lives have been afflicted by the “scourge of war,” unhindered by the U.N. Charter and the organization it set up to end it forever.</p><p>Consistently, as a frequent victim of the veto, the Palestine delegation was a cosponsor of the measure, leading to an Israeli delegate to protest that it was against the rules. But then the Israeli delegate compounded her obtusity, trying to reconcile the good vetoes that Washington used with the bad ones that Russia had wielded. “In some cases, the problem has been the text of the resolution before the Security Council, not the veto itself.”</p><p>Indeed, as she implies, the text of a resolution might well call Israeli actions into question and “in the case of a particular resolution in the Security Council that does not promote peace and security, the veto should be cast.”</p><p>From now on, supporters of Palestine can and should use every occasion of a General Assembly debate on a U.S. veto to relate American statements about Russian frightfulness in Ukraine with Israeli behavior in Gaza. Bombings of civilians, deaths of children, violation of boundaries, defiance of Geneva conventions, annexation of territories acquired by force: you would almost think that Putin had studied the Israeli blueprint, and as Adolph Hitler famously concluded over the Ottomans’ Armenian massacres, “they got away with it.”</p><p>It is a reciprocal learning process as the barbaric Israeli assassination of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh demonstrates. Who knows though, maybe the White House foreign policy team might also learn from the self-serving expediency and manifest ambivalence of Israel and the Gulf states to U.S. resolutions on Russia and let them know they cannot expect automatic diplomatic and military support.</p><p>And maybe the U.S. can once again realize that international law is not something you can turn on and off when Israel is involved: that you cannot preach effectively against annexations in Ukraine, while condoning land grabs in the Golan, West Bank and Western Sahara. ■</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-24882151755488309892022-04-04T08:41:00.003-04:002022-04-04T08:41:27.688-04:00Sanctions! not BDS.<p> <span data-offset-key="33b04-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span class="py34i1dx" style="background-color: white; color: var(--blue-link); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ian-williams-deterioration-of-intl-human-rights-mechanisms-blamed-on-us-defense-of-israel-video/</span></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="651er" data-offset-key="3lc0i-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3lc0i-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="3lc0i-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="651er" data-offset-key="ctt2o-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ctt2o-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="ctt2o-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Ratcheting up the clicks at the moment. Well done Omar and PDD!</span></div></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-26384303028829380952022-03-25T16:41:00.001-04:002022-03-25T16:41:23.036-04:00Albright's State Deportment<p> <strong style="background-color: white;">Accessed 18 April 1999</strong></p><p style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #800040;"><big><strong>Albright's State Deportment/</strong></big></span> <span style="color: #800040;"><strong>IAN WILLIAMS</strong></span></p><b style="background-color: white;"><p>[A Review of] SEASONS OF HER LIFE:</p></b><p style="background-color: white;">A Biography of Madeleine Korbel Albright.</p><p style="background-color: white;">By Ann Blackman.</p><p style="background-color: white;">Scribner's. 398 pp. $27.</p><p style="background-color: white;">Flirtatious and ferocious at the same time, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stamps the world stage over Kosovo, threatening fire from heaven if Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic does not agree to peace terms. Just as over Bosnia, she may even believe what she says. Unfortunately, the Serb leader is much better informed. He knows that whatever the public differences, Belgrade and Washington are united in wanting to avoid NATO airstrikes (even if they come to pass). Albright's grandstanding is a necessary part of the charade in which the United States acts scary and the Serbs act scared.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> With her ability to be stridently parochial, and insular as well, in six different languages, Madeleine Albright has been the perfect Secretary of State for this Administration. Never one to let substance interfere with a good soundbite, she has reinvented herself whenever it has been advantageous to her ambitions.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> But does she really merit a biography on the scale of Seasons of Her Life? As Ann Blackman frames the problem, "What makes her, among all the other brilliant men and women in America, stand out?" Almost inadvertently, emerging from Blackman's hard work is a portrait of Albright that shows she would be outstanding mainly by dint of her mediocrity in any such gathering (thus well meriting the nickname Madeleine Halfbright, which State Department staff members gave her after her appointment as US ambassador to the UN).</p><p style="background-color: white;"> However, she would also stand out for her burning ambition--and for her intensive cultivation of social and political connections of the kind available to someone of substantial wealth. (Madame Secretary benefited from a generous divorce settlement after what she has described as a "Cinderella marriage" to a millionaire.) Blackman actually writes that "Albright's greatest appeal is that she is just like us, only wealthier"! This has perhaps unwitting overtones of Hemingway's putdown of F. Scott Fitzgerald's remark about the rich--"They are different from you and me": "Yes, they have more money." But it really sums up the secret of Albright's success more aptly than any neofeminist reading of progress from the log cabin of Kinder, Küche, Kirche to political glory.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> In becoming the first woman to head the State Department, Albright achieved cult status in some superficially minded quarters. People Blackman terms the golden girls--Democrats like Barbara Mikulski, Barbara Kennelly and Anne Wexler--spoke out prominently in her favor, for example. But many of us who followed the careers of Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi need convincing that the absence of cojones in itself guarantees wisdom, virtue or empathetic statesmanship. Even so, those redoubtable women, political warts and all, were elected despite their sex. Blackman's account makes it clear that Albright was appointed to public office by a symbol-sensitive White House because she was a woman. "Frankly, [President Clinton] wanted another woman in the cabinet," Blackman quotes a wisely anonymous but assumedly knowledgeable source as saying. In fact, cojones did help Albright directly, since her use of the word at the United Nations over Castro's downing of a flight of Cuban exiles helped lock her in the media eye as a staunch anticommunist--and an electoral asset for the President in Florida.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman's bibliography cites Albright's PhD dissertation, her MA submission for Columbia, one from Wellesley and a mere quartet of memorable public speeches, significant for their carefully crafted soundbites rather than their insights. Certainly no male so thinly qualified would have even been on the short list to head State--nor would a better-qualified woman lacking Albright's social connections. Among her predecessors, Warren Christopher may not have played to the gallery, but he had a long record of public service and had been Deputy Secretary of State prior to his Cabinet appointment. Cyrus Vance had been Deputy Secretary of State as well (and LBJ's emissary to North Vietnam) before he was elevated.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman's journalistic integrity rescues this book from the hagiographic gushing that it occasionally approaches. However, that creates a constant dissonance between biographical intent and delivery of the content. For example, she asserts that Albright has made sure that "women's rights are a central priority of US foreign policy" but then goes on to report that there has been no great leap forward in the number of female ambassadors on her watch. She quotes a close friend of Albright as saying, "Gender didn't hit her in any real way until she got to the United Nations. Feminism wasn't an important cause for her until recently."</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Even at that, it appears mainly to be a stepping stone. For example, Blackman reports that while Albright was nominally in charge of the US delegation to the International Women's Conference in Beijing, she disdained actual attendance, except insofar as she could share Hillary Clinton's plane for the one-day fly-in visit. Significantly, the book is as silent as Albright was herself about the sexually adventurous Clinton's sacking of Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders (another, more neglected female first) for her statement at the UN that masturbation did not carry a risk of AIDS. In a more political vein, Albright's first move on arrival at the UN was to push out April Glaspie, the former chargé d'affaires in Iraq who carried the can for the Bush Administration in its confused signals to Baghdad before the start of the Gulf War. Glaspie had been serving her penance at the US Mission to the UN. In short, sisterhood may have been a force in getting</p><p style="background-color: white;">Albright appointed, but it is not a concept she has put into practice much herself.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman also records that her globetrotting protagonist was not going to attend the Copenhagen UN Social Summit at all, considering the war against global poverty too soft a subject for her consideration. Until, that is, Al Gore announced he was going, whereupon Albright, then UN ambassador, decided to hitch a lift with him. As Blackman says, she "understood that if she were to have any chance at higher office, she would need to spend time with people who could influence the decision." Brown-nosing becomes an art form in these pages, which occasionally read like Diary of a Nobody in the third person, as they record Albright's delight at getting this or that invitation, or mortification at being left off this or that power list.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Despite the log-cabin-to-State-Department nonsense that she and her spinmeisters have woven, it is clear that Albright came from a relatively affluent and privileged background. No amount of spin can transform a privileged, upper-middle-class upbringing, with governesses and Swiss private schools, into a life of deprivation.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Few people would regard being the daughter of a college professor and having to take a scholarship to Wellesley as swimming against the social stream. After marrying into money, Albright used her wealth to consolidate her position as a Georgetown hostess whose rabidly hawkish cold war sentiments, seemingly picked up through hero worship of her Czech émigré father, could always find a popular echo among Democratic movers and shakers. (Albright was an outsider of her own creation, since she had set herself on being rich, WASP and Wellesleyan and remade herself in this image, renouncing Catholicism for a comfortable Episcopalianism.)</p><p style="background-color: white;"> At least we are spared any hint of a radical past. Albright, it seems, was a proto-neocon from the beginning. During the sixties, when, Blackman stereotypically tells us, "antiwar radicals who grew their hair long and smoked pot" and "black-power advocates sporting 'Afros'" besieged college presidents, Albright found the demonstrations at Columbia "a pain in the neck." Albright, we deduce, neither wore an Afro nor smoked the demon weed; instead, she struggled with her postgraduate work and wrestled with the dilemma of whether to leave the children at home with the housekeeper.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Interestingly, and once again reflecting the dissonance between the biographer's task and this volume's contents, the body of Blackman's text takes seriously Albright's amazing amnesia about her Jewish ancestry and the price her grandparents paid for their ethnicity. Blackman does record in her introduction that she found "very few people who believe [Albright] was truly ignorant of her family heritage." As Blackman herself says, it "stretched the imagination." Within months of her appointment as Secretary of State, in other words, Albright was revealed to be someone who was either suffering premature Alzheimer's or who was pathologically covering up knowledge of her family history. On the face of it, neither is an optimal characteristic for running the foreign policy of the world's only superpower. Blackman fails to consider what the effect of these revelations would have been if they had surfaced before her appointment: Discussions made public at the time reveal that Albright might have found herself scoring more negative points for her Jewishness than positive points for her womanhood at a bean-counting White House.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> There is much in this book with the ring of truth--but what rings out loudest is the sound of silence when it comes to examining the record of Albright's public life as opposed to her personal history. Blackman disclaims any attempt to analyze her subject's approach to US foreign policy in favor of following "the path Albright walked to shatter the glass ceiling." Would it be conceivable for a biographer of Henry Kissinger to write about his struggle with his Austrian-Jewish origins in an administration that was frequently tinged with anti-Semitism--and not mention Vietnam or Cambodia?</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Yet in Seasons of Her Life, Blackman gives almost as much prominence to Albright's presidency of the trustees of the Beauvoir Elementary School in Washington, DC--an affluent private establishment not much patronized by the majority population of the District--as she does to her career at the UN. In one way this is reasonable, since it was the nearest thing to public office Albright held before becoming ambassador to the UN in 1993.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> There is much talk of facials, hairdos, dating and dresses, but not one single mention of Rwanda. In fact, in 1994 Albright fought single-handedly in the Security Council to stop any UN reinforcements whatsoever from going to Kigali while somewhere between half a million and a million Tutsis were being massacred. All agree that loyalty to Clinton has been one of her virtues. She was never more loyal than in this championing of Presidential Decision Directive 25, which ruled that the United States would veto any UN peacekeeping operation that did not directly benefit US interests. Her pride in her Czech origins is continually stated, but in this case it was ironically justified. "The crocodiles in the Kagera River and the vultures over Rwanda have never had it so good," Karel Kovanda, the Czech ambassador to the UN, reprimanded his colleagues on the Security Council (and by implication one in particular) in an attempt to get reinforcements for the tiny UN contingent in Kigali.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> In another example of diplomacy by soundbite and photo-op, Blackman reports that Albright went to Somalia to wear a flak-jacket with US troops for the cameras and that she decided Boutros Boutros-Ghali should be fired as Secretary General of the UN because of that organization's failure there. However, Blackman does not mention her heroine's role in pushing the UN to fight a vendetta with Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid, which could be regarded as the cause of the debacle in which eighteen US Rangers were killed. Nor does she mention that the key incident in which the soldiers were killed was an American operation initiated and carried out without even informing, let alone consulting, UN forces on the ground.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman gives the dubious credit for sacking Boutros-Ghali to Albright without really explaining why she did it. Perhaps closer examination would have led Blackman to examine the most likely hypothesis: that, Salome-like, Albright danced in front of Jesse Helms with Boutros-Ghali's head, in return for promises of easy confirmation as Secretary of State from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman fails to explore what is, on the face of it, a highly unlikely yet continuing alliance between Albright and Helms. In fact, they share an intensely parochial and reactionary view of the world. Perhaps the most germane comment is the cable home from former British Ambassador Sir John Weston, who, in best "Yes, Minister" style, alerted the Foreign Office to the failings of the new Secretary of State. "She is not always good at accepting the need to apply to the United States the same standards and expectations she requires of others.... There is a mildly irritating tendency to create a fixed position and then to look around for others to save her from the detailed consequences of it.... Her reaction to being exposed or brought under pressure from sudden turns of events are sometimes tetchy, verging on the panicky."</p><p style="background-color: white;"> It is perhaps significant that Weston has retired from the Foreign Service. Most of the other diplomats who were privately so dismissive of her joined the fawning chorus of congratulations once she became Secretary of State. The same process has been obvious in the media, where her career has been written up as if she were some combination of Metternich and Mother Teresa.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> In fact, most of the press who covered Albright at the UN had as little time for her as she had for them. Her spinman would go straight to Washington to get the pliable coverage he wanted, bypassing the New York staff. From the time of her arrival at the UN, it was obvious where her ambitions lay, and her media effort was directed solely at the State Department. However, she had apparently been cautioned that it would not do to look too eager, so everyone was supposed to conspire in pretending that it was not so.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> I must confess an interest here. Not long after Albright took over, her spokesman, Jamie Rubin, bell, book and candled me from the US Mission in 1994 for writing a profile of Albright in the New York Observer that referred to her "barely concealed ambitions...to become Secretary of State." Rubin complained that I had not recorded his denial of any such ambition; she and her staff have a strong view of the proper role of journalists: as stenographers whose task is to write down every word.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> When the Washington Post's Michael Dobbs revealed his findings about Albright's family being massacred during World War II, Blackman records that Albright's response was to call Post publisher Katharine Graham, who wisely realized that it was too late to do anything about the story. Rubin's response was to spoil Dobbs's scoop by leaking his results to other outlets who could assure a more sympathetic, if not sycophantic, stance. Later, one press occasion in Belgrade was canceled simply because Dobbs was the pool reporter.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman says she asked Albright about the prevailing State Department doctrine that if someone writes something 99 percent positive and 1 percent negative about her, she will focus on the 1 percent. The champion of free speech and the American way of life told her chillingly, "So eliminate the 1 percent." It is to Blackman's credit that she has significantly exceeded the single percent. While most of her editorializations are in the traditional inside-the-Beltway mode of never attacking a possible source and the impressive negative percentage is always ascribed to others, I'd be surprised if Blackman ever got another exclusive interview. In Washington, access is given to stenographers, not investigators.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Blackman's integrity and resourcefulness show through the pink cotton wool padding. I only wish she had adopted the persona of the little girl revealing the insubstantiality of Empress Albright's new clothes and dug a little deeper. She could have explained just why Albright is the perfect embodiment of this Administration's content-free foreign policy, in which one deranged Senator from North Carolina or a campaign donation from a banana magnate has more weight than all of America's allies put together, let alone the rest of the world.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p style="background-color: white;">Ian Williams, The Nation's UN correspondent, has reported extensively on Madeleine Albright.</p><p style="background-color: white;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p style="background-color: white;">Send your letter to the editor to letters@thenation.com.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Copyright ©1999 The Nation Company, L.P. All rights reserved. Unauthorized redistribution is prohibited.</p><p style="background-color: white;">If you liked what you just read, you can subscribe to The Nation by calling 1-800-333-8536 or by following this link. The Nation encourages activists and friends of the magazine to share our articles with others. However, it is mandatory that academic institutions, publications and for-profit institutions seeking to reprint material for redistribution contact us for complete guidelines.</p><p style="background-color: white;"> Please attach this notice in its entirety when copying or redistributing material from The Nation. For further information regarding reprinting and syndication, please call The Nation at (212) 209-5426 or e-mail dveith@thenation.com.</p><div><br /></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-84702508287904020582022-03-24T14:05:00.002-04:002022-03-24T14:05:34.442-04:00Come Back Haile Selasse, all is forgotten.<p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVNPFo8tZvw</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-7791375795165485932022-03-17T12:40:00.002-04:002022-03-17T12:41:38.702-04:00If Caracas why not Teheran?<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="templateContainer" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; max-width: 600px !important; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="headerContainer" style="background-image: none; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><a class="" href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=bc9b9cc32a&e=73a4dc3884" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13/images/f1b26a14-cd71-41ed-b124-6a74ad0160d6.png" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 440px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="127.6" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #757575; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>If Caracas, why not Teheran?</strong></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Briefing with Trita Parsi</span></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Friday, March 18th, 2 p.m. EDT on Zoom</span></strong></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 0px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px; text-align: center;" valign="top"><a class="" href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=86d5831e76&e=73a4dc3884" target="_blank" title=""><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13/images/d1c68d37-ee44-f70f-8586-99da2c02f1f5.png" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 2667px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="600" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed !important; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 10px 18px 15px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top-color: rgb(255, 210, 73); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #757575; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><span style="color: black;">Faced with war in Ukraine, oil shortages, Gulf, Saudi and Israeli reticence to support the US diplomatically and economically, Western policy towards Teheran is shifting, even as Moscow tries to use the JCPOA for leverage. <br /><br />Trita Parsi EVP of the Quincy Institute tries to parse the shifts in policy and see where it fits in the wider conflicts.</span><br /> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnButtonBlockOuter"><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonBlockInner" style="padding: 0px 18px 18px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnButtonContentContainer" style="background-color: #2baadf; border-radius: 4px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="mcnButtonContent" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; padding: 18px;" valign="middle"><a class="mcnButton " href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=93e20e0bde&e=73a4dc3884" style="color: white; display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="REGISTER">REGISTER</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #757575; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><span style="color: black;">Trita Parsi is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the</span> <a href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=07cea10623&e=73a4dc3884" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order</a>. <span style="color: black;">He is the Executive Vice President of the</span> <a href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=7686834b66&e=73a4dc3884" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft </a><span style="color: black;">and an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. In 2021, he was named by the Washingtonian Magazine as</span> <a href="https://foreignpressassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cdd8550fe0e13cd31cf23fa13&id=6e3bd3da80&e=73a4dc3884" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">one of the 50 most influential voices on foreign policy</a> <span style="color: black;">in Washington DC, and preeminent public intellectual Noam Chomsky calls Parsi "one of the most distinguished scholars on Iran."</span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed !important; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 18px;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-top-color: rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageCardBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageCardBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageCardBlockInner" style="padding: 9px 18px;" valign="top"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-12968999325921824562022-03-03T23:50:00.003-05:002022-03-03T23:50:29.654-05:00The UNsteps back from the plate.<p> https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/03/03/what-russias-defeat-at-the-un-really-means/</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-30137973114990821852022-02-28T17:11:00.002-05:002022-02-28T17:11:21.162-05:00Stalin's Ghosts<p> https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TtdORXrzToeHS8pAbbZYzQ</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-58763062775334088152022-02-28T10:32:00.000-05:002022-02-28T10:32:12.104-05:00My interview with Terry Melia<p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNpWUt0pBow</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-47120379254372822942022-02-28T10:27:00.003-05:002022-02-28T10:27:48.354-05:00Foreign Press Briefings<p> I've been remiss in keeping up to date. I promise to do better. In the meantime, here is a compendium of recent FPA briefings</p><p><br /></p><p>https://www.youtube.com/c/foreignpressassociationusa</p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-47042447804240087472021-11-11T18:28:00.001-05:002021-11-11T18:28:08.156-05:00<p> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,</em> November/December 2021, pp. 23-25</strong></p><h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;">United Nations Report</h4><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">By Ian Williams</em></h3><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST,</strong> one can see why fainter hearts despair of the United Nations while other more urbane observers make allowances for its inherent weaknesses. However, increasingly the failure to do anything about its weaknesses pushes every observer into despair. Ten or fifteen years ago, these <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report </em>U.N. columns lamented the stranglehold of the U.S. over the organization and the perennial logjam in the Security Council as the U.S. and Russia vetoed and counter-vetoed essential measures. For many observers, the answer was to expand the Security Council and make it “more representative.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Now, in a way, the reformers have won. There is a jackal pack of hangers on, albeit not formally enrolled in the Council, with an indirect paw on the steering wheel—and more concerningly, a foot on the brake. Unsurprisingly this has not made for a more efficient or effective United Nations.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">We saw this most distressingly when the U.N. Human Rights Council members succumbed to some combination of browbeating and bribery from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in October to thwart the continuation of an U.N. investigation into human rights violations in Yemen.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">This point needs belaboring. On anyone’s objective reckoning, despite fierce competition, Yemen is one of the most distressful countries in the world, where the four horsepersons of Apocalypse have been staging their own lethal rodeo. There can be no doubt that there are human rights violations there, which impelled the U.N. Human Rights Council to order an investigation. There is little doubt that both sides (in fact all three sides; it’s complicated) are in some measure guilty. But, for example, only one side, the Saudis and Emiratis, are bombing civilians and, incidentally, a UNESCO world heritage site in Sana’a.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Even their Western allies, such as Britain, who have been supplying and training Abrahamic allies’ murderous forces, could not provide excuses for scuppering the investigation. But the Saudis, with an extra layer of diplomatic armor from their part in the accords with Israel, do not have to worry about domestic courts, international law and human rights lobbies. Shamefully, they have just succeeded in cancelling the probe.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">As Human Rights Watch had said, “Member states bowing to pressure to end the mandate when it is still urgently needed would be a stain on the credibility of the Council and a slap in the face to victims.” As the dark joke in the U.N. has it, if the vote were on a show of hands, the wrists of those who voted “no” would probably be sporting Gold Rolexes.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Somalia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Libya, the Philippines, Russia, Sudan and, shamefully, India and Pakistan acting in uncommon harmony all voted “no” on continuing the probe, while Nepal, Japan, Namibia and others failed to have the courage of their lack of principles and abstained. Even more pusillanimous, Ukraine just disappeared for the vote!</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">We are accustomed to Palestine votes evoking hypocrisy at the highest level, as delegations weigh U.S. and Israeli pressure against the principles of self-determination and humanitarian law to which they pay lip service. In the case of Yemen, one can only guess what combination of outright bribes and fear of financial retaliation from the Saudis led to the votes, along with the intriguing spectacle of the heirs of the Warsaw Pact —Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia—who have between them demonstrated strong international solidarity with their bloc of mutual support for authoritarian impunity.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">The real question is what these countries are doing on the Council at all. They do have a shared concern for human rights in that they all violate them at home, and have now moved to international concern—as in the “you watch my back and I’ll watch yours” variety.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">It demonstrates that the system for choosing Human Rights Council members has broken down. The Council took its shape in almost a by-gone era of concern for human rights. The Clinton administration had supported the U.N. (up to a point) of course and actively lobbied for human rights—when it suited. The reforms called for every country’s record to be periodically reviewed, which reduced the ability of supportive blocs to head off scrutiny. Human rights supporters could also count on some support from delegations like South Africa to try to secure actual elections that would take into consideration the behavior of the candidates in the regional blocs.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">They were somewhat successful for a while—even knocking the U.S. off the Council. But the U.S. soon gave up the fight while diehard support for Israel, Guantanamo and similar issues tarnished Washington’s shining armor as a champion of human rights. The “elections” for the seats have become a tragi-farce in which the regional blocs, even the West Europeans, make sure that there are only nominations for the number of seats available. So, there are no contested elections and a primary qualification for nomination appears to be that the candidate country has a dubious human rights record that it wants to hide.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">All members vote for all the seats, but candidates must come from the regional blocs they represent. In the beginning, there was effective pressure to ensure competitive elections, for which candidates had to prove their suitability. Then the insidious U.N. pressure for consensus and “Buggins’ Turn” principles allied with arm twisting and garotting by the Saudi purse-strings took over and the number of candidates was whittled down to the number of vacancies.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Even the last bastion, the Western European seats, succumbed ironically to ensure that the perennially vulnerable U.S. was seated since even reforming members saw little value in the Council if the U.S. were not in it. Certainly the Trump administration did nothing to encourage competitive elections for a Council. But other members are culpable as well.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Accordingly, October’s Human Rights Council elections saw Cameroon, Eritrea, Gambia, Benin and Somalia for the African group; Qatar, UAE, Kazakhstan, India and Malaysia for the Asian group; Argentina, Paraguay and Honduras for the Latin America and the Caribbean group; Luxembourg, Finland and the United States for the Western group; and Lithuania and Montenegro for the Eastern Europe group take their seats.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Few of them are paragons of human rights. And while we can welcome the U.S.’ resumption of participation, let us just say that police impunity for murders and Guantanamo are hardly recommendations. The top vote was 189 for Benin, and much deserved bottom vote of 144 went to Eritrea—as much for its habit of quarreling with neighbors as for its human rights record, I suspect. The U.S. came in next to bottom with 168 votes. But pathetically few states heeded Human Rights Watch’s call to refrain from voting for human rights violators. Back to the drawing board for the Human Rights Council, but who has the political and moral authority to force changes? There is no activist secretary general like Kofi Annan to push a reform agenda and the U.S.’ moral authority is deep in the Dead Sea with its Israeli protégé.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">U.N. Watch is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to holding the United Nations accountable to its founding principles.” After it was pointed out (in here and other places) that its only concerns seemed to be countering criticism of Israel, it has recently weighed in on other issues where the U.N. has failed human rights, in an effort to restore credibility. However, it cannot escape its monomania. In 2019, it took time to inveigh (correctly) against the Saudi accession to the Council. I took the occasion of this year’s Saudi triumph in suppressing the investigation about Yemen to scour their website for any mention of this latest assault on liberty and reason.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">There is nothing there, which could lead one to suppose that the Kingdom is bathed in the blood of the lamb, cleansed of all sin by the Abrahamic Accords. One would look hard at U.N. Watch to see any criticism of Morocco, whether at home or in the Occupied Western Sahara. It is plain to see that standing by Israel gives a “get out of criticism free card” for any country.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">With amusing irony, U.N. Watch also tells home truths about the Palestinian Authority, what one might call the authoritarian wing of the national movement, without mentioning that much of that abuse of power is aimed at more vociferous Palestinian resistance to Israel, which is of course vying to see how much of the Palestinian opposition it can lock up.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">In the early years of the Council, Kofi Annan and his team actively lobbied delegations to ensure some degree of competition, but as so often on human rights issues, particularly where the Saudis are concerned, there is a deafening silence from the U.N. Secretariat. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is honored, far more often in the breach, than the observance.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">And that brings us to another core principle of the post-war United Nations, “The inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force,” or the abandonment of the old principle of the right of conquest. It is, of course, no accident that this principle was only ratified after World War II had rewritten many boundaries by force! But it is what denies Israel legal title to the West Bank and the Golan Heights—and which denied Saddam Hussain title to Kuwait.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">On Israel’s behalf, the U.S. still tests this principle to destruction. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently reasserted Israeli claims to the Golan Heights, and U.S. responses did not rebut him, but simply mentioned the current incapacity of Damascus. In the West Bank, the U.S. prevaricates on whether or not the territories are occupied or disputed. And to show the global effects, the Biden administration has yet to walk back former President Trump’s acquiescence in the Moroccan landgrab. Showing more adherence to the rule of law, the European Courts over-ruled the EU bureaucrats who allowed Morocco to pocket the proceeds of Western Sahara’s fisheries.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">On the other hand, in annexers’ solidarity, Israel proudly announced the sale of drones to Morocco, clearly intended for use against Polisario.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">The U.N. has many fine features and noble aspirations, but one does wonder when the politicians and the leaders of the organization will bother to activate them or, after decades of taming and training by kleptocrats and genocides, even whether they can be activated.</p><hr style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 0px; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(65, 65, 65); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: content-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; height: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;" /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">U.N. correspondent Ian Williams is the author of </em><a href="https://www.middleeastbooks.com/products/untold-the-real-story-of-the-united-nations-in-peace-and-war-by-ian-williams" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-weight: bold; outline: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s;">UNtold: the Real Story of the United Nations in Peace and War</a><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> (available from Middle East Books and More).</em></p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-35950605445478103882021-06-17T14:20:00.003-04:002021-06-17T14:20:24.177-04:00Ban Ki Moon at the FPA<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1b95e0; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0Y3xfcok3k</span></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="fgm0m" data-offset-key="d2pq2-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="d2pq2-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="d2pq2-0-0">Ban KiMoon talks to Ian Williams at the FPA about his new book.</span></div></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-74251291644023990752021-06-16T22:54:00.002-04:002021-06-16T22:54:20.248-04:00<p> <span data-offset-key="c2pn7-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Putin Biden, pots and kettles! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b95e0; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.urmedium.com/c/presstv/79617</span></p><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="ffj26" data-offset-key="3b6fa-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3b6fa-0-0" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="3b6fa-0-0">Therapy for ex-Superpowers.</span></div></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-15101754291839934382021-06-16T10:45:00.001-04:002021-06-16T10:45:25.751-04:00<p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><div class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><h1 itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-size: 64px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 30px 0px 10px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Black and White on Palestine and Israel</span></h1><dl class="article-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 12px; margin: 30px -8px 40px;"><dt class="article-info-term" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.42857;"></dt><span style="font-family: times;"><dd class="createdby" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span data-original-title="" data-toggle="tooltip" itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box;" title="">IAN WILLIAMS</span></dd><dd class="category-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a data-original-title="Article Category" data-toggle="tooltip" href="https://www.wrmea.org/israel/palestine/" itemprop="genre" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s;" title="">ISRAEL-PALESTINE</a></dd><dd class="published" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="info-block-title" style="box-sizing: border-box;">POSTED ON </span><time data-original-title="Published Date" data-toggle="tooltip" datetime="2021-06-16T08:22:26-04:00" itemprop="datePublished" style="box-sizing: border-box;" title="">JUNE 16, 2021</time></dd></span></dl></div><div class="entry-image full-image" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 19px; margin-bottom: 2px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="img_caption none" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; float: none; font-size: 16px !important; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.25; margin: 12px 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 1px; width: 860px;"><img alt="" class="caption jch-lazyloaded" data-height="560" data-src="/images/2021/06/14/williamsx840.jpg" data-width="840" itemprop="image" src="https://www.wrmea.org/images/2021/06/14/williamsx840.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 838px;" title="A young Palestinian looks at a poster of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, during a protest against the building of a nearby Jewish settlement in the Israeli occupied West Bank on Dec. 7, 2013. Palestinians draw on the legacy of Mandela, a high-profile supporter of their cause, likening his fight against apartheid to their own struggle to end Israeli occupation. (ABBAS MOMANI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)" /><p class="img_caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.25; margin: 12px 6px; max-width: 100%; padding: 1px;"><span style="font-family: times;">A young Palestinian looks at a poster of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, during a protest against the building of a nearby Jewish settlement in the Israeli occupied West Bank on Dec. 7, 2013. Palestinians draw on the legacy of Mandela, a high-profile supporter of their cause, likening his fight against apartheid to their own struggle to end Israeli occupation. (ABBAS MOMANI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></p></div></div><div class="js-vote" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span class="js-vote-stars" style="background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url("/plugins/content/js_vote/images/skin.png") !important; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x !important; background-size: 25px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 1em; height: 24px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 6px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 125px;"><span class="current-rating" id="rating_15772_0" style="background-color: transparent !important; background-image: url("/plugins/content/js_vote/images/skin.png") !important; background-position: left center; background-repeat: repeat-x !important; background-size: 25px; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 0px; z-index: 1;"></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-5-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 12.5px; z-index: 12;" title="0.5 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-10-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 25px; z-index: 11;" title="1 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-15-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 37.5px; z-index: 10;" title="1.5 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-20-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 50px; z-index: 9;" title="2 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-25-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 62.5px; z-index: 8;" title="2.5 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-30-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 75px; z-index: 7;" title="3 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-35-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 87.5px; z-index: 6;" title="3.5 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-40-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 100px; z-index: 5;" title="4 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-45-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 112.5px; z-index: 4;" title="4.5 out of 5">1</a></span><span class="js-vote-star" style="background-image: none; background-position: 0px center !important; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;"><a class="ev-50-stars" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 24px; left: 0px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em !important; top: 0px; transition: none 0s ease 0s; width: 125px; z-index: 3;" title="5 out of 5">1</a></span></span> <span class="js-vote-info" id="js-vote_15772_0" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-size: 12px; height: 24px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px 0px 0px 6px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;"></span></span></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-size: 19px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: times;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,</em> June/July 2021, pp. 24-25</span></strong></p><h4 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-size: 30px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;"><span style="font-family: times;">United Nations Report</span></h4><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-size: 36px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: times;">By Ian Williams</span></em></h3><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">EVEN THOSE OF US </strong>who did not allow our revulsion for former President Donald Trump to view President Joseph Biden through rose colored glasses have been pleasantly surprised by his behavior on the U.N., on WHO, UNRWA and even on domestic issues. Sadly though, we were <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">not </em>too surprised by his tepid prevarication over the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, nor were we even that shocked by his muted response to the assault on the al-Aqsa Mosque and Sheikh Jarrah. “All politics is local” is an axiom of American politics, and no more so than on Middle East policy, where the effect of lobbies and donors counterbalances reality on the ground. In the past if the lobby had declared that apples soar upwards from the tree, Congress would have agreed so but that is no longer guaranteed.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">In the last few weeks, several Middle Eastern threads became inextricably tangled. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Israeli apartheid was not revolutionary in its concept. But in the current context, it has contributed to a revolution in liberal U.S. discourse, aided to a great extent by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s hard work to put truth in the allegation in the weeks since. After all, nothing says apartheid quite so eloquently as footage of thugs from Brooklyn committing home invasions against Palestinian grandmothers in Sheikh Jarrah. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">While undoubtedly transformative, the apartheid designation was, after all, a much belated concession to reality. Many years ago, in the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report</em>, I discussed HRW’s tendency to pull its punches over Israel, which I ascribed to sensitivity to its donor base. Amnesty International had similar foibles—refusing to describe Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu as a prisoner of conscience for many long years of his solitary confinement. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">The HRW report followed similar documents from the U.N. that were stifled by U.S. pressure, not least one from the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), whose suppression by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in 2017 was a harbinger of his subsequent subservience to the U.S. and Israel. The head of ESCWA, Rima Khalaf, resigned in protest. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">But mostly absent from the discussion was the relevance and accuracy of the original U.N. determination back in 1975 that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination,” which recalled that even earlier, in December 1973, the General Assembly condemned, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">inter alia</em>, “the unholy alliance between South African racism and <a href="https://www.wrmea.org/special-topics/zionism-and-its-impact.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-weight: bold; outline: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s;" title="zionism">Zionism</a>.” The racism reference was overturned by massive diplomatic pressure from the administration of George H.W. Bush, who, while buoyed internationally by the defeat of Iraq in the first Gulf War, was headed for domestic defeat by the pro-Israeli lobby backlash against his refusal of U.S. loan guarantees to build settlements for Soviet Jews going to Israel. As pandering goes it was a flop. He managed to overturn the resolution, but AIPAC & Co. never forgave him or Senator Bob Dole for defending Washington against the hordes of Zionist lobbyists who descended on the Capitol.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Bringing the issue back home, at that time there was agreement that the Congressional Black Caucus would stay silent about this alliance in return for the lobby’s support on domestic issues. The visit of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela to the U.S. and the U.N., after his release in 1990, really put the fox in with the chickens. But the chickens stayed <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">shtum</em>. The object of universal adulation and praise referred repeatedly and provocatively to his support for the Palestinians. If he had been a mere Andrew Young, or Jesse Jackson, saying the same things, the lobby and the media would have launched a political lynching. But they astutely realized the usual character assassination would not have dented his standing, and would, if anything, have popularized his views.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">It is mind-boggling to envisage the mental choreography of Biden and his team, including his new seemingly conscientious U.N. ambassador as they traipsed through the minefield of the current Israel-U.S. relationship with Black Lives as the back drop. Few, if any, of them, have any illusions about Netanyahu’s good will or moral probity. They all know he is an amoral, vindictive, lying scumbag. But at one time, they would have voted to protect him confident that the only people taking note of the betrayal of their avowed principles would be Israel and its supporters.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">However, until recently, even with President Barack Obama facing the Trump-Bibi axis, the pro-Israeli cabal around Biden knew they were on sound ground in domestic politics. The Black Caucus would give Obama a pass and the pro-Israeli caucus among the rest of the Democrats would reliably “stand by Israel,” albeit with a few pinches of incense on the altar of peace and human rights.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Despite the derision its leaders heap on the United Nations, Israel knows that the road to the Hague is paved with U.N. resolutions, not least of which are the Security Council decisions, about which they have lectured when Iran or Iraq is the frame. Biden could and should have supported the Security Council meeting and resolution that the other members were putting forward. We can be sure the implied threat of that led to Netanyahu’s belated acceptance of a ceasefire in Gaza. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">So, it would appear the ceasefire in Gaza involved some serious tightrope walking for Biden. He might well have implied the threat of breaking with the thick blue line and condemning Israel but with the face-saver that it was not to be mentioned in public. As a warning to Netanyahu and a gesture to the Palestinians, the State Department announced the re-opening of the consulate in East Jerusalem.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">But consider what has changed in U.S. politics. The tidal wave set off by Black Lives Matter suggests that many components of Biden’s Democratic coalition see uncomfortably direct parallels between armored Israeli police and soldiers wading into demonstrators and mosques and self-exiled Trump supporters acting like KKK vigilantes in Sheikh Jarrah. In parallel, legislative successes by the Left mean that this was no longer AIPAC’s Democratic Party. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">By condemning Israel, Biden “risks” alienating the people who think that Trump is still the president and were last seen storming Capitol Hill. The former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon has been quite explicit. Israel should concentrate on these Evangelicals recognizing that while the investment by AIPAC and die-hard Israeli supporters in the most repugnant right-wing Republican Party ever, has alienated the liberal wing of the Democrats, including its Jews. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">Biden knows which groups almost won the Democratic primary and whose support was essential to his victory. With his record of support for “Israel’s right to self-defense,” he was not going to pander to BLM and pro-Palestinians, but he was not in a position to alienate them. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;">It is a chilling thought, but it is possible, that the knee-on-the-neck technique, popularized by Israeli trainers of U.S. police forces, started the cycle of events that run from George Floyd’s murder, through the protests, to Netanyahu’s reluctant ceasefire.</span></p><hr style="border-bottom: 0px; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(65, 65, 65); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: content-box; height: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;" /><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">U.N. correspondent Ian Williams is the author of </em>UNtold: the Real Story of the United Nations in Peace and War <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">(available from Middle East Books and More).</em></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-22356083522350223632021-05-18T15:02:00.000-04:002021-05-18T15:02:03.809-04:00VIRUS<p> <span style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: inherit;">Join us tomorrow at 4:00PM EDT for a press briefing with with journalist and author </span></p><div class="css-1dbjc4n" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="css-901oao r-18jsvk2 r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1419; display: inline; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-xoduu5" style="-webkit-box-align: stretch; -webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; align-items: stretch; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="r-18u37iz" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; flex-direction: row;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/ninaburleigh" referrerpolicy="origin" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1b95e0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: inherit;">@ninaburleigh</a></span></div><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;"> as we discuss Nina's book 'Virus: Vaccinations, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America's Response to the Pandemic'
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</span><span class="r-18u37iz" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; flex-direction: row;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CDC?src=hashtag_click" referrerpolicy="origin" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1b95e0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: inherit;">#CDC</a></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" style="border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; white-space: inherit;"> </span><span class="r-18u37iz" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; flex-direction: row;"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PANDEMIC?src=hashtag_click" referrerpolicy="origin" role="link" style="border: 0px solid black; 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flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; inset: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; z-index: 0;"></div></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-25792310761378652332020-11-20T11:27:00.002-05:002020-12-16T17:39:17.691-05:00<div class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><h1 itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: "Merriweather Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 60px; letter-spacing: -2px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 20px 0px 10px;">The Riddle of the Sands and the Sound of Silence</h1><dl class="article-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 12px; margin: 30px -8px 40px;"><dt class="article-info-term" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.42857;"></dt><dd class="createdby" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span data-original-title="" data-toggle="tooltip" itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box;" title="">IAN WILLIAMS</span></dd><dd class="category-name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a data-original-title="Article Category" data-toggle="tooltip" href="https://www.wrmea.org/north-africa/index.php" itemprop="genre" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #949494; display: inline-block; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s;" title="">NORTH AFRICA</a></dd></dl></div><div class="entry-image full-image" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 2px; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><div class="img_caption none" style="border-bottom: 1pt dashed rgb(204, 196, 196); box-sizing: border-box; color: #888888; float: none; font-family: "Merriweather Sans", sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-top: 4px; width: 840px;"><img alt="" class="caption jch-lazyloaded" data-src="/images/2020/12/08/williamsx840.jpg" height="564" itemprop="image" src="https://www.wrmea.org/images/2020/12/08/williamsx840.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: 503.571px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; transform: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 750px;" title="A group of Sahrawi demonstrators wearing face masks hold flags and placards in Malaga, Spain on Nov. 28, during a protest in support of the self-determination of Western Sahara. On Nov. 13 the Polisario Front declared war against Morocco after the Moroccan government broke the peace truce with Western Sahara. (PHOTO BY JESUS MERIDA/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES)" width="840" /><p class="img_caption" style="border-bottom: 1pt dashed rgb(204, 196, 196); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 8px; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-top: 4px;">A group of Sahrawi demonstrators wearing face masks hold flags and placards in Malaga, Spain on Nov. 28, during a protest in support of the self-determination of Western Sahara. On Nov. 13 the Polisario Front declared war against Morocco after the Moroccan government broke the peace truce with Western Sahara. (PHOTO BY JESUS MERIDA/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES)</p></div></div><div itemprop="articleBody" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><a id="startOfPage" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; display: inline-block; outline: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s; visibility: hidden;"></a><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,</em> January/February 2021, pp. 20-21</strong></p><h4 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: "Merriweather Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 29px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;">United Nations Report</h4><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: "Merriweather Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 50px 0px 30px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">By Ian Williams</em></h3><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">PALESTINIANS AND THEIR FRIENDS</strong> have every reason to lament the sound of silence about the Palestinians, but even noise about them is not necessarily that productive. The “Annual Resolution Fest” has just finished with the General Assembly passing the “traditional” resolutions on Palestine and the even more often overlooked Golan Heights.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">As always, it is geopolitically instructive to see who votes with the U.S. and Israel and thus against international law and previous U.N. decisions which their countries had originally supported. Even the abstentions are significant in their way, since in this context they usually mean “We agree with the resolution but we don’t want or don’t dare, annoy Israel and its big brother in Washington.” But lest we get too scornful of smaller weaker powers who bow to bullying, just remember that many U.S. congress people take a similar attitude when AIPAC’s lobbyists come calling!</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">It is a source of wry amusement and consolation for the Palestinians that the tiny cabal of states, which actually side with Israel are, well...<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">tiny</em>, either in size or moral standing in the world. The assorted Israeli-allied atolls of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Nauru are totally dependent on foreign aid, but this year they were not even joined by Palau, whose recent votes for Israel have always been a shocking fall from grace.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">The U.S. denied Palau, a former U.S. “strategic trust territory,” even nominal sovereignty for ten years for its principled refusal to come under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The Pacific Islands, all threatened by climate change and sea level rise are happy to vote with Trump, the president who denies them.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">So it is perhaps not surprising that the other Trumpista states backing Israel form an “Axis of Intolerance” to immigrants and their own indigenous peoples: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary and Malawi whose tolerance for apartheid was always outstanding for an African country.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Since 2004, Canada has been the epitome of unprincipled invertebracy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continued the floppy spinelessness of Stephen Harper’s regime under pressure from its vociferous domestic Israel lobby. Although its official positions agree with the U.N. resolutions on issues like the illegality of settlements and the wall, its weaselly excuse was that the resolutions were “one-sided” and directed disproportionately at Israel. This lobby-engendered trope of “whataboutery” completely evades the actual irrefutable Israeli violation of international law by implying that it’s rude and repetitive to go on about it. So Canada and likeminded casuists do not defend Israeli behavior, but will not condemn it.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">This year, on the core issue, Ottawa had a lucid moment and voted with the majority, which is, possibly, a belated rediscovery of its principles, but perhaps also because of its equally belated realization that its pro-Trump, pro-Israeli votes had again lost it a term on the Security Council.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">To complete the cycle of unrighteousness, Nauru, a desolate island from which all the valuable avian excreta had been scraped, housed its own settlements of boat people dumped there by racist Australian governments. There is a pattern here.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">While one could make the pragmatic case that there are too many Palestinian resolutions, the Israeli effort and lobbying against them suggest it is worth keeping up the pressure. And similarly, the rapture with which the pro-Israeli camp greets the defection of the Saudis, Emiratis and Bahrainis does strongly reinforce just how damaging their treachery is.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">On the other hand, if people would remember, it was only a few years ago that part of the “whatabout” refrain from Israel lobbyists was the relative silence about the misogyny, cruelty and lack of democracy in the Gulf states. Fortunately, a vital pre-requisite for being an Israeli supporter is a conveniently short-term memory.</p><h6 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: "Merriweather Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 29px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">MOROCCO ALSO FLOUTS U.N., FOLLOWING THE ISRAELI EXAMPLE</h6><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">On the other side of the Sahara, this publication is one of the few that has kept an eye on the plight of the Sahrawis and their Moroccan occupiers. Israelis just ignore U.N. resolutions and, in some cases, insist that their singular idiosyncratic interpretation holds against the unanimity of the rest of the world, while the Moroccans go the whole hog and claim, for example, that the International Court of Justice decision negating the Moroccan king’s claim means exactly the opposite, or that the Security Council has NOT repeatedly called for a referendum.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">To refresh memories, while some Sahrawis live in refugee camps, many still live inside the Moroccan equivalent of the separation wall, “the Berm”, under extreme surveillance and political persecution. We know their views because occasionally they surface as political prisoners. We can also draw deductions from the refusal of Morocco to countenance holding the referendum there, even one including the Moroccan immigrants. Among the convenient memory lapses is, that when the Spanish withdrew, the Moroccans accepted and shared their claim to the territory with Mauretania to the south, and when the latter accepted defeat by Polisario, they blithely assumed the Mauritaian pretensions and claimed the lot.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">The ceasefire line, the Berm, left a strip of territory on the Saharan side up to the Mauritania border at Guerguerat, which just happens to straddle the major land route between North and West Africa. Technically the strip is demilitarized but the Moroccans have been encroaching and Polisario has been countering.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">It is a perfect combination of circumstances. MINURSO, the U.N. force which has for 30 years failed to fulfil its mandate to deliver the referendum, has been bribed, bullied and cajoled into quiescence by the Moroccans. It let the situation develop and watched Morocco launch an armed incursion into the territory without raising any alarm bells. It is probably significant that Morocco did this while the world was pre-occupied with the follies in Washington and assumed that it could get away with it.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">But this time Polisario had had enough. They declared an end to the ceasefire and began shelling Moroccan bases. One cannot help but suspect that they chose empty ones to shell at this stage, but in any case the sound of silence is deafening.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">Once again, it is about countries standing by countenancing illegality. There are clear decisions, accepted by everyone except Morocco: ICJ decisions, and General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, European Court decisions and more, all reaffirm the need for self-determination for the territory.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">So while it is perhaps understandable that none of us want to pour blood and treasure into the Sahara, it is particularly pusillanimous that few (South Africa being an honorable example) will even mention that Morocco is breaking the law and burning through $50 million a year of the U.N. peacekeeping budget.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;">And of course the Gulf states, so busily courting Israel, express their solidarity with Morocco. But then the Palestinians would rather court Morocco than support their fraternal refugees. The U.N. might not make countries do the right thing, but in its own passive way, it sets firm standards that everyone can fail.</p><hr style="border-bottom: 0px; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(65, 65, 65); border-top-style: solid; box-sizing: content-box; height: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;" /><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 22px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">U.N. correspondent Ian Williams is the author of </em><a href="https://www.middleeastbooks.com/products/untold-the-real-story-of-the-united-nations-in-peace-and-war-by-ian-williams" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #098544; display: inline-block; font-weight: bold; outline: none; transition: color 400ms ease 0s, background-color 400ms ease 0s;">UNtold: the Real Story of the United Nations in Peace and War</a><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> (available from Middle East Books and More).</em></p></div><p></p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-15472278819966856342020-11-18T13:26:00.001-05:002020-11-18T13:30:17.969-05:00Annual Reform Ritual at the UN.<p> But the members will not stand up to the P5!</p><p><a href="https://www.urmedium.com/c/presstv/52116">https://www.urmedium.com/c/presstv/52116</a><br /></p>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-83497676845400439712020-11-18T12:17:00.003-05:002020-11-18T12:17:25.948-05:00Desert Storm or Deserted Norm... where is the UN?<p> <a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50nGnBdHLI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR03dKEH3EkOqL308cm0a4_U_8AQHKM4spKSAiYGBubqzJQAz8ZwWIqqY38" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; white-space: pre-wrap;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50nGnBdHLI&feature=youtu.be</a></p><div class="" dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_wi" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Desert Storm or Deserted Norm... where is the UN?</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_wj" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="b3i9ofy5 l9j0dhe7" style="background-color: var(--comment-background); font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="j83agx80 soycq5t1 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="display: flex; font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gmql0nx0 gpro0wi8 datstx6m k4urcfbm" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50nGnBdHLI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3PN2IghWW_B6uIyjxnnMe6LVBjVmpiVbMIrDhkONUXlcZL6Iz_kIUUOYY" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; height: 261px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; width: 500px;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><div class="bp9cbjyn tqsryivl j83agx80 cbu4d94t ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 k4urcfbm" style="align-items: center; background-color: var(--always-black); display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 500px;"><div style="font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 500px; width: calc((100vh + -325px) * 1.91571);"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 261px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 261px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 500px;"><img alt="Western Sahara ceasefire over after 40 years. FPA Press Conference with Professor Jacob Mundy." class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm bixrwtb6" height="261" src="https://external-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCZ6VNyVkT_Bhml&w=1000&h=522&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fu50nGnBdHLI%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&cfs=1&ext=jpg&_nc_cb=1&_nc_hash=AQALN2Jo0HGzohnQ" style="border: 0px; bottom: 0px; height: 261px; left: 0px; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; width: 500px;" width="500" /></div></div></div></div><div class="i09qtzwb rq0escxv n7fi1qx3 pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 linmgsc8 opwvks06 hzruof5a" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"></div></a></div></div></div></div><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 a8c37x1j p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gmql0nx0 p8dawk7l" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50nGnBdHLI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2wBbeVaRK59gBQwS1kxqLPClD12sOGFOKyozQJyO_EcMuAPgeGkXcbpBA" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><div class="b3i9ofy5 s1tcr66n l9j0dhe7 p8dawk7l" style="background-color: var(--comment-background); border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd bp9cbjyn owycx6da btwxx1t3 b5q2rw42 lq239pai f10w8fjw hv4rvrfc dati1w0a pybr56ya" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin-left: -6px; margin-right: -6px; padding: 12px 16px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr g5gj957u p8fzw8mz pcp91wgn" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex: 1 1 0px; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="bi6gxh9e sqxagodl" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 8px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb mdeji52x e9vueds3 j5wam9gi knj5qynh m9osqain" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--secondary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span class="a8c37x1j ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 ltmttdrg g0qnabr5" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">YOUTUBE.COM</span></span></div><div class="enqfppq2 muag1w35 ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt rq0escxv a5q79mjw r9c01rrb" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.0625rem; margin-bottom: -4px; margin-top: -4px; max-height: calc(2.35294em); overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db a5q79mjw g1cxx5fr lrazzd5p oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.0625rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.1765; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span class="a8c37x1j ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; display: -webkit-box; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><span dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Western Sahara ceasefire over after 40 years. FPA Press Conference with Professor Jacob Mundy.</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></a></div></div></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-73148420888281913002020-11-09T10:44:00.002-05:002020-11-14T14:42:44.993-05:00Remembering Robert FiskRobert Fisk, who has died of a stroke at the age of seventy-four, did not always get it right, although he mostly did. He was in the right places, at the right times – but it was not just luck: he contrived to be there. If he made mistakes, as all such prolific journalists will, we can be sure they were honest ones, not the result of bribery or browbeating from the rich and powerful.
<br />
Having braved the sectarian battles of Belfast, Fisk was prepared for the bitter conflicts he covered when he reported from Beirut over so many years. He brought a sense of history that Western media pundits on drop-in visit tend to lack, the cable and internet sock-puppets pontificating from faraway studios. Not least of his assets was that he lived in the region and spoke Arabic – and did so directly to ordinary people. A consummate beat reporter, he cultivated local sources even as he listened carefully to what official sources said.
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To report on the region, he advised, “we journalists have to fight the Trumps as well as the Arab dictators, the pro-Israeli lobbyists and the Muslim factions and sometimes, yes again, tolerate the anger of our colleagues.” Indeed, while herd immunity might be a myth, media herd mentality, whipped along by fears of standing alone against editors and proprietors, is a proven reality – as anyone watching the current bovine stampede against Jeremy Corbyn can see.
<br />
But Fisk was always the maverick, prepared to blaze his own trail. He would not profess the spurious objectivity so often honoured in the breach by the media of record. He said that journalism must “challenge authority, all authority, especially so when governments and politicians take us to war.” When most of the media were being rounded up to support the Iraq War, Fisk was among the who not only saw the transparent absurdity of the WMD evidence, but also detailed the massive support Britain and the US had given to Saddam Hussein – which is why, he suggested, the Iraqi leader was quickly hanged to prevent him revealing his persecutors’ complicity.
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One of his first scoops was an accidental taxi-ride into the centre of the Syrian city of Hama in 1982 to see it being shelled by Hafez Al-Assad’s tanks. Despite later accusations of being soft on the Al-Assad dynasty, he pointed out the hypocrisy of Western governments decrying and threatening to bomb Syria over the clan’s current atrocities while nurturing the butcher of Hama, Hafez Al-Assad’s brother Rifaat, in luxury in London.
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Beirut and the Middle East was indeed clearly the location for him to exercise his distinctive defiance of the official line, but even before this in Belfast he had defied British military attempts to embed or muzzle him to the extent that MI6 followed him to Dublin. Lest we forget, the British police and military were assassinating the awkward squad at the time, or at least facilitating the efforts of various sectarian death squads. The past is prelude to the present.
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That he died in the week that Keir Starmer suspended Jeremy Corbyn is telling, since both of them suffered the accusations of being soft on terrorism in Ireland and the Middle East for speaking to combatants before the official peace process – and before a wave of journalistic and political figures would feel sufficiently comfortable in their own career prospects to do so.
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While his reportage was fact-based, he tried to put those facts in context and draw conclusions. For example, he regularly wrote about the motives of Western leaders and about their inherent duplicity in lecturing others about their ethics. In speaking truth to power, the media should indeed expose hypocrisy – above all the hypocrisy of their own power brokers. But occasionally in his analysis Fisk showed signs of adopting the principle that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. Following the logic through he was often too apologetic for the Milosevics, Putins and Assads of this world.
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Sometimes genocidaires are indeed mass murderers, even when it is their fellow mass killers, Tony Blair or Bill Clinton, who make the charges. Earlier he was more nuanced. Even as Fisk admitted Hama’s Islamists massacred Baathists, he denounced Damascus’s murderous way with the citizens of the town. Even as he denounced the Western assault on Iraq, he recalled Saddam’s poison gas attacks on Shias and Iranians. But by the end he gave more benefit of the doubt to Bashir Al-Assad than the latter’s record merited.
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Perhaps his finest hour was when he reported on the massacre of thousands of Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila, for which an Israeli government commission held then Defence Minister Ariel Sharon personally responsible. Fisk’s attempt to remind people of this behaviour by Netanyahu’s political mentor, lauded by Biden and Blair at his funeral, led to the usual flurry of complaints. One critic wrote to him that “in this case, you have an anti-Israeli bias. This is based solely on the disproportionate number of references you make to this atrocity.”
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Like Hama before, Sabra and Shatila has been erased from the collective memory of a media that, unlike Fisk, does not take time to research their beats. As he said, “No international or world leaders visit the mass grave… on the anniversary of the massacre of the Palestinians.”
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But that wasn’t true for everyone. Jeremy Corbyn did go the massacre site for the 30th anniversary (with Gerald Kaufman) and later remembered “the Labour Party… until 1982, had a position of uncritical support for Israel… The 1982 Labour Party conference at last woke up to the reality of Israel’s behaviour towards the Palestinians after the massacre at Sabra and Shatila, and condemned them.”
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It is hardly surprising, then, that Corbyn paid heartfelt tribute to Fisk yesterday as a “brilliant man with unparalleled knowledge of history, politics and people of Middle East.” Luckily for Fisk, his reputation kept his position at the Independent which badly needed big names in the course of its decline.
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I strongly suspect that it will be some time before any Western media will repeat that “mistake” of allowing someone to report truthfully and fearlessly on the Middle East. Especially not when this involves the inevitable descriptions of Israel’s pernicious role and the unprincipled support of Western governments for the Palestinians’ oppressors.
<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/11/remembering-robert-fisk">https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/11/remembering-robert-fisk</a></div>Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-90276087209119210762018-08-18T06:33:00.002-04:002018-08-18T06:33:52.657-04:00Kofi Annan -An Honest Statesman hounded by Rogues!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ian Williams has covered the United
Nations since 1989. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">And is the author of UNTold, the
real story of the UN in Peace and War.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The True UN Scandal<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Who Pocketed the $10 Billion for
Iraq?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> World Policy Journal 2006/7</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ian
Williams <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In
December 2006, Kofi Annan finished <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">his
two-term tenure as secretary general of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the United
Nations. Among his greatest <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">achievements
was undoubtedly shepherding <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
principle of "The Responsibility to Protect" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">through to
adoption by the Heads of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">State
Summit in the General Assembly in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">September
2005. By beginning to put some <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">teeth in
the Universal Declaration of Human <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Rights and
overturning the traditional <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">concept of
absolute national sovereignty, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">this
prefigured a huge change in international <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">law, even
if, as the ongoing conflict in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Darfur
demonstrates, its implementation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">leaves
much to be desired. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sadly,
however, in the United States <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">at least,
many commentators tied Annan's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">name to
the alleged "Oil for Food" (OFF) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">scandal.
It is perhaps timely to take a retrospective <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">look at
this, not least since the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">miasma it
raised at the time still lingers <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">around
both him and the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Perhaps no
molehill has ever been made <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">into such
a mighty mountain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Following
attacks by the conservative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">UN-hating
media in the United States, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to a
lesser extent in the United Kingdom, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Secretary
General Kofi Annan convened an <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Independent
Inquiry Committee into the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">OFF
program to be headed by the former <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Federal
Reserve chair, Paul Volcker. His <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">committee
had unprecedented access to documents, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">emails,
and phone and financial <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">records
across the world. Annan's act was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">not that
of a man who had anything to hide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In October
2005, and with the investigation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">costing
almost $50 million dollars, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
report1 came out, and in summer 2006 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">it was
followed with a prÈcis "Good Intentions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Corrupted:
The Oil for Food Scandal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and the
threat to the UN."2 Paul Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">wrote the
introduction but two of the investigators, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Jeffrey A.
Meyer and Mark G. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Califano,
authored the content. In contrast <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to the
enthusiastic coverage from the conservative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">media
about the so-called scandal, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the report
did not garner much media <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">attention,
perhaps because, in general, it <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">exonerated
the United Nations from the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">hyperbolic
accusations made against it. Its <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">conclusions
are relatively sober, unexceptional, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
essentially repeat those of many <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">previous
reports on the failings of UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">management.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The book
recounts examples of the five <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">ambassadors
holding permanent seats on <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Security Council bypassing UN procurement <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">procedures,
and of U.S. naval cover <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">occasionally
being provided for oil smuggling <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">operations,
which, in total, amounted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to $8.4
billion of revenue for Iraq in defiance <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
sanctions. It notes the general apathy <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
Security Council members to reports <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
smuggling, kickbacks, and surcharges, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">which
netted the regime another $1.8 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It also
points out that the Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council
gave the UN Secretariat and the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Oil for
Food program the mandate and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">framework
that made it possible for Iraq- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and many
companies and governments-to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">manipulate
the program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In the precis
to the report, Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">writes,
"I did not, and do not today, believe <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that the
evidence developed by the committee <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">justifies
a sweeping allegation that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">financial
corruption is or was characteristic <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">© 2007
World Policy Institute <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of the
institution as a whole. Rather...there <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">is a culture
of inaction,' of a strong tendency <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to evade
administrative responsibility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">That
culture is rooted both in the character <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of the UN
organization and in broadly political <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">considerations."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It is, however,
that political context that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">is mostly
missing from "Good Intentions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Corrupted,"
just as it was from the Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">report.
There were good reasons why the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraq
program was not robust in its enforcement <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
sanctions, no matter how much <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">shock the
report expresses about inattention <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to such
details. It is unlikely that the Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council,
cognizant of the hardship that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraqi
sanctions caused,will ever again agree <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to impose
such comprehensive and draconian <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">economic
sanctions. Indeed, another <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">lesson
from the affair may be that, in a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">globalized
world, any attempt to micromanage <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
foreign trade of an entire country's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">economy is
not only futile, but risks <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">disastrous
socio-economic consequences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Since, the
Security Council has limited <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">subsequent
sanctions to rogue regimes or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">against
strictly military trade. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
Background to OFF <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In a
vindictive mood at the end of the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">original
Gulf War in 1991, the Americans, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">with
British and (at the time) French support, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">instituted
a crushing package of economic <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">sanctions,
reparations, and monitoring <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">against
Iraq. Not since Versailles had <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">victors
imposed such measures on the defeated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
sanctions did not have a "sunset <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">clause."
A positive vote of the Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council
was necessary to lift them. It was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">only
possible because, at that immediate <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">juncture,
the Soviet Union, and then Russia, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">cooperated.
Later, other members asked for <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"light
at the end of the tunnel"-a demonstration <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that Iraqi
compliance with Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council
resolutions would lead to lifting <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
sanctions-but the United States <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">made it
plain that it would veto any such <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">attempt
while Saddam Hussein remained <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in power. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
original sin was the rush of enthusiasm <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
aftermath of the Gulf War and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the Cold
War, when the UN looked likely <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to become
the executor of Washington's foreign <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">policy. A
more independent secretariat <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">might have
warned of the pitfalls of the policy <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Security Council adopted, although, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to be
fair, at the time few foresaw that sanctions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">would
still be in effect a decade later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As the
economy imploded and public <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">services
collapsed, it soon became apparent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that the
sanctions' primary victims were <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">ordinary
Iraqis. Indeed, Secretary of State <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Madeleine
Albright ruminated on CBS's 60 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Minutes in
1996: "We have heard that a half <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">million
children have died. I mean, that's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">more
children than died in Hiroshima.... Is <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the price
worth it?... I think this is a very <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">hard
choice, but the price-we think the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">price is
worth it." She has since regretted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
statement, but at least it had the benefit <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of candor.
Clearly, Washington did think <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that the
political and strategic benefits outweighed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the costs
paid by Iraqi civilians, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">otherwise
it could have relaxed the sanctions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sadly, it
was the United Nations that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">tallied
those casualty figures, though staff <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">members
saw their job as developing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">economies,
not destroying them; saving <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">children,
not starving them. They tended to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">see the
sanctions as an American-enforced <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">aberration
from the true mission of the UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">system.
High-profile officials-such as Assistant <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Secretary
General Denis Halliday, in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">September
1998, and Hans Von Sponeck, in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">March
2000-resigned in protest against <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">complicity
in what Halliday called genocide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It did not
help that the resolutions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">earmarked
30 percent of the proceeds of oil <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">sales to
war reparations, which went mostly <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to Kuwait
and major oil companies and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">which
provided an additional pretext for <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Baghdad's
defiance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Without
firm opposition within the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">United
Nations, for a few years during and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">after the
Gulf War, Washington and its junior <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">partner in
London promulgated instruc-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">tions
inside the UN as if it were an extension <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of their
own foreign policy apparatus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It was a
brave staff member who resisted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">their
wishes-as indeed Egypt's Boutros <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Boutros-Ghali
himself discovered when his <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">term as
secretary general was not renewed, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in part
because he was insufficiently cooperative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">with
Madeleine Albright. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In the
Arab and Muslim world, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">even in
Western Europe, the palpable suffering <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of Iraqi
citizens eroded support for sanctions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
diminished the moral standing of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the world
organization. The stark contrast <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">between
the relentless application of pressure <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on Iraq,
and the free diplomatic pass <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">given to
Israel in enforcing compliance with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Security
Council resolutions, also exacerbated <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">disaffection.
While legally significant, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
contrast between resolutions censuring <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraq,
which contained their own means of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">enforcement,
and those against Israel, which <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">did not,
merely reinforced the perceived disparity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Even
Saddam Hussein's cavalier disregard <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">for, and
defiance of, UN disarmament <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">resolutions
found defenders in the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">face of
Washington's relentless antipathy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As the
sanctions wore on and American officials <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">began to
call for regime change, UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">members
chafed at what seemed a blatant <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">attempt to
flout the bedrock principle of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">national
sovereignty. (No UN resolutions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">ever
mentioned overthrowing Saddam- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">indeed
George H. W. Bush had deliberately <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">avoided
that option at the end of Operation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Desert
Storm in order to preserve the international <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">coalition.)
Clearly, if the sanctions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had needed
a reauthorization vote-as <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">peacekeeping
operations do-it is unlikely <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">there
would have been a Security Council <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">majority
to re-impose them, apart from the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">potential
veto that the Russians, Chinese, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and later
the French might have wielded. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Besides
the moral considerations, Iraq <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">represented
potential oil concessions and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">trade with
Russia, China, and France. By <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">1997,
sanctions were losing support and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">were about
to crumble completely. For the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">majority
of the council, and for much of the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">secretariat,
since the U.S. veto was an insuperable <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">obstacle
to lifting sanctions, the Oil <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">for Food
program was seen primarily as a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">way to
mitigate the effect of the sanctions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on
ordinary Iraqis by providing food supplies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In
contrast, for Washington, whose <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">basic
assumptions the Volcker report reflects, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
purpose of the Oil for Food program <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">(to which
it reluctantly agreed) was to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">maintain
sanctions in the face of growing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">worldwide
reluctance to cooperate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Smuggling
Condoned <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Though a
hostile conservative press has accused <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the Oil
for Food program of providing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">billions
of dollars to the Iraqi regime, most <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of the
smuggling was already under way before <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
program was established. This was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">known to
Western intelligence services and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
media-or indeed anyone who wanted <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to know.
The Americans and the British <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">kept
sending mixed messages-not officially <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">condoning,
but never overtly condemning <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraq's oil
trade with Western allies. Under <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Article 50
of the charter, Iraq's neighbors, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">like
Turkey and Jordan, were entitled to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">compensation
for costs they incurred in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">maintaining
sanctions. However, no one really <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">wanted to
pay up, least of all a U.S. administration <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that had
for years found it difficult <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to obtain
congressional approval of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">UN dues.
So from the outset there was massive <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">oil-trading,
referred to as "smuggling" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
press and committee reports, across <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
borders to Jordan and Turkey, which the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Volcker
report confirms was well established <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">by the
time Oil for Food had begun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
American-allied Kurds in the north <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">siphoned a
significant percentage from oil <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">sales to
Turkey that passed through their <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">territory,
and the Jordanian economy would <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">have
collapsed without the oil trade across <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
border-for which Amman did ask permission <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of the
Sanctions Committee, which <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"noted"
the request without delivering <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">an
opinion. It was the diplomatic equivalent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of a wink
and a nudge. The Western <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">powers
only began to be irritated about the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"smuggling"
in 1997, when Damascus negotiated <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">a
rapprochement with Iraq and later <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">re-opened
the Syrian pipeline. The flurry <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
indignation from the British and others <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">was hard
to sustain, as they could not explain <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">why this
was in any way more censorious <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">than the
leakage to Turkey and Jordan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The Matter
of Sovereignty <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Anomalously,
Iraq was formally a sovereign <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">member
state of the UN even as it was being <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">treated as
a defeated nation. For example, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to respect
the letter of international law, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the UN
applied for Iraqi visas for its personnel <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
Kurdish areas where Baghdad had <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">no
practical authority whatsoever, and allowed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the regime
to veto personnel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The United
Nations Special Commission, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
nominally UN weapons inspectors <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">team, had
proven to be an extension of U.S. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">intelligence,
which played directly to Iraqi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ba'athists'
paranoia. The Iraqis did not want <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">a fresh
team of weapons inspectors using the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">cover of
the Oil for Food program serving <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on behalf
of a state threatening military <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">action
against them. When the Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council
agreed to the Oil for Food program <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">after
initial American resistance, Saddam's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">regime
showed that it could be equally opportunistic <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in its
feigned principles, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">initially
cited national honor in resisting <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">inspections.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">To get the
food to the population, UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">officials-who
cared more about the Iraqi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">citizenry
than either Baghdad or Washington-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in effect
had to compromise with the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Ba'athists'
pretenses about "national honor" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to get the
program running. As a result, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">while the
United Nations managed the escrow <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">fund into
which all oil sale revenue <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">went, and
which paid for the food, the program <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had no say
about which companies or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">countries
Baghdad chose to sell oil to, or to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">buy food
and supplies from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Unsurprisingly,
given hostility in Washington <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
London, Baghdad did not award <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">many
contracts to American or British companies, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and used
commerce to reward and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">influence
countries like France, Russia, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">China,
whose votes they coveted in the Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council.
It would be naÔve to assume <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that those
contracts had no influence in determining <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">their
votes. Certainly France's position <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">changed
considerably over this period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">At least
Baghdad's ill will towards Washington <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had the
effect of sparing most American <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">companies
from the temptation to join <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
kickback scheme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Taking all
this into account, while the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Volcker
report spreads the blame among <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the member
states, the Security Council, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and the
secretariat for the program's failure <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to enforce
sanctions on Iraq, it misses the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">point in
reprimanding the UN staff. To <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">many, and
very possibly a majority, while <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the Iraqi
sanctions may have been legal under <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the UN
Charter-they were illegitimate, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
arguably immoral. Hence the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">contrast
in outlook between the United <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">States, as
reflected in the Volcker committee's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">report,
and much of the world. For <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">most of
the UN staff, the OFF program was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">about
feeding Iraqis. For Washington it was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">about starving
the regime of funds for rearmament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It needs
reiteration that in both <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">contexts
it was hugely successful. By the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">end, the
program was providing essential <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">food and
medical supplies for over 80 percent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of the
Iraqi population, and, as was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">subsequently
proved by both Hans Blix's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">UN
Monitoring Verification and Inspection <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Commission
inspectors and their American <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">successors,
it was also successful in stopping <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraqi
rearmament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Indeed, it
was so successful that the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">U.S.
occupation authorities asked the UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to
continue the program after the 2003 invasion <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and then
praised its performance <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">after it
ended. A surplus of more than $10 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">billion
dollars was handed over to the Occupation's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"Iraq
Development Fund" to be disbursed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">under the
scrutiny of an international <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">monitoring
board. Such was the context <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">when Kofi
Annan asked Paul Volcker to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">establish
and head the Independent Inquiry <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Committee.
Yet surprisingly, the committee <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">did not
take into account the very political <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">circumstances
of its own creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">How
Success Turned to Scandal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Within a
year of the Iraq invasion, the anti-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">UN media
in the United States began to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">trumpet
the "UN Oil for Food Scandal," <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">which was,
according to the neo-conservative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">columnist
Charles Krauthammer, "the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">biggest
financial scandal in the history of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
world." Some of the wilder pundits <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">claimed it
involved the mismanagement of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"hundreds
of billions of dollars." The real <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">target of
the attacks was the United Nations <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">itself,
and, especially, the reputation of the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">secretary
general. When, in December <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">2004,
Republican senator Norm Coleman <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of
Minnesota called for Kofi Annan's resignation, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune provided <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">a succinct
explanation of what lay <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">behind the
attacks. Describing Coleman's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">call as a
"sordid move," a December 4, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">2004,
editorial explained, "For months before <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
election, the right-wing constellation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of blogs
and talk radio was alive with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">incendiary
rhetoric about Annan and the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">oil-for-food
scandal.... This is really all <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">about
Annan's refusal to toe the Bush line <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on Iraq
and the administration's generally <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">unilateral
approach to foreign affairs. The <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">right-wingers
hate Annan and saw in the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">food-for-oil
program a possible chink in his <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">armor.
They went after it with a venomous <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">fury."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The story
of how Oil for Food mushroomed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">into a UN
scandal begins with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Claudia
Rosett, a former Wall Street Journal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">writer who
is now journalist-in-residence at <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In a 2002
New York Times op-ed, just <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">after Bush
went to the UN to seek authorization <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">for an
invasion of Iraq, she called the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Oil for
Food program "an invitation to kickbacks, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">political
back-scratching and smuggling <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">done under
cover of relief operations.... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">If the
oil-for-food operation is extended, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">however,
it will have a tremendous <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">influence
on shaping the new Iraq. Before <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that is
allowed to happen, let's see the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">books."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The idea
that the UN had failed by not <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">backing
the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Saddam
Hussein's continued malfeasance <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">could be
blamed on the UN, was very much <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">part of
the house philosophy of the Foundation <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">for the
Defense of Democracies. Its <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">board
included such GOP eminences as Steve <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Forbes,
Jack Kemp, Jeane Kirkpatrick, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Frank
Lautenberg, Newt Gingrich, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">James
Woolsey, as well as Richard Perle <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
Charles Krauthammer. Its own website <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">advertised
its connections with the Iraqi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">National
Council and Ahmed Chalabi, its <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">leader-in-exile.
Chalabi's position was crucial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">He
disliked, in particular, Annan's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">special
representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">who was
assembling an interim government <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in Baghdad
and had correctly assessed the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">lack of
indigenous support for Chalabi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in Iraq.
At one point, Chalabi had called <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
secretary general's office in New York <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to
pressure Annan to appoint him to a position <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">commensurate
with his self-perceived <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">importance.
When Annan's office resisted, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Chalabi
and his team carried out their <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">threat to
propagate the claim that Benon <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sevan, the
retiring Oil for Food chief, was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on a list
of 267 people for whom Saddam <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Hussein
had authorized commissions on <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">oil
trades. This claim provoked a rash <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of stories
focusing on the alleged UN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">connection.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">With so
much smoke, the media <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">seemed to
assume that there had to be a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">fire.
Interestingly, these stories were mostly <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
op-ed pages. The Wall Street Journal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">news
section undertook some sterling investigative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">work that
did not point at corruption <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the UN,
but rather at collaboration <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">between
private companies and member <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">states in
providing revenue for Baghdad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In March
2004, Annan, backed by the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Security
Council, appointed former Federal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Reserve
bank chair Paul Volcker to head <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">an
inquiry. Soon, however, the same people <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">who had
demanded the inquiry began to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">accuse
Annan of under-funding it. When he <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">then
obtained $30 million from residual OFF <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">funds set
aside for administration, he was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">immediately
accused of taking bread from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Iraqi
children's mouths. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The New
York Post denounced the inquiry <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">as a
cover-up, and New York Times <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">columnist
William Safire referred to Annan's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"manipulative
abuse of Paul Volcker," whose <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">reputation
for integrity was "being shredded <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">by a web
of sticky-fingered officials and see-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">no-evil
bureaucrats desperate to protect the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">man on top
who hired him to substitute <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">for-and
thereby to abort-prompt and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">truly
independent investigation." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The chorus
grew louder following the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">leak of a
letter in which Annan cautioned <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
U.S.-led coalition against a frontal assault <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on
Fallujah. Fox television's Bill <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">O'Reilly
declared that "it's becoming increasingly <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">clear that
UN chief Kofi Annan <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">is hurting
the USA." On November 24, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">2004, the
National Review declared "Annan <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">should
either resign, if he is honorable, or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">be
removed, if he is not." And, on December <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">1, 2004,
writing in the Wall Street Journal, Senator Norm Coleman called for An-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">nan's
resignation. When asked, President <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Bush did
not repudiate Coleman's call with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">any
expression of confidence in Annan, but <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">called
simply for the investigation to take <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">its
course. A week later, Prime Minister <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Tony Blair
joined much of the world in expressing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">support
for Annan, to whom delegates <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
General Assembly gave a standing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">ovation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">By this
time, the Volcker committee <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had won
over the conservative press, albeit <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">inadvertently.
The interim reports publicized <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">many
allegations from the UN's own, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">widely
derided Office of Internal Oversight <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Services,
without publishing rebuttals from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">UN staff.
The hostile press also welcomed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Volcker inquiry's censure of Annan over <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">his son's
involvement with Cotecna, a company <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">contracted
to inspect food deliveries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Kojo Annan
had lied to his father in declaring <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">that he
had severed his relationship with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
company, and it was discovered that he <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had
concealed continuing payments from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Cotecna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Volcker's
team found no evidence that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
Secretary General had in anyway been <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">involved
in the procurement scandal but <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">held that
he had not treated these allegations <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">seriously
enough. Annan had asked for <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the advice
of his (U.S.-appointed) undersecretary <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">general
for management, and of his <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">undersecretary
general for legal affairs, who <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">told him
that since he had no contact with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
procurement process, he did not need to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">take
further action. And, though Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">countered
that he should not have believed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">his son
and authorized a major inquiry, the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">published
report effectively cleared Annan <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and the UN
of the vast majority of the corruption <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">charges
leveled by the conservative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">media.
Apart from Annan's involvement, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">this was a
lesser matter than the ever-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">growing
billions that the critics alleged <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the UN had
squandered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">About
Benon Sevan <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In the
face of allegations of tens of billions <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">floating
from the gulf, the sole finding of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">direct UN
corruption was leveled at Benon <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sevan, the
Cypriot head of the $100 billion <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">program,
who declared $147,000 in gifts <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">over four
years from an aunt, which the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">committee
decided had come as commission <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on
otherwise legitimate oil trades from a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">company
run by his friends. If true-and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
evidence the committee adduced was <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">circumstantial-this
was clearly unethical, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">but not
necessarily illegal. They also took <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sevan to
task for his style of management. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sevan did
run the program at arms' length <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">from the
secretariat, but his colleagues, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">while
admitting that he could be stubborn <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
idiosyncratic, also pointed out that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">secretariat
interference in OFF would have <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">slowed
down its work. By insulating it from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">bureaucratic
interference, many believe the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Cypriot
abetted the program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Sevan returned
to Cyprus in 2005 and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">has not
been in New York since, which does <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">not
necessarily imply an admission of guilt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">In New
York, he faced a politically motivated <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">prosecution
in an atmosphere poisoned <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">by media
allegations. In January 2007, a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">U.S.
district attorney filed charges against <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">him. He
denies guilt and cannot be extradited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Indeed,
one suspects that the Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">team's
report devotes a chapter to him because, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in the
end, this was the only substantial <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">accusation
of serious impropriety against <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">any UN
official directly related to the program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">For all
the time, money, and effort put <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">into the
Volcker report, there are several <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">significant
omissions that obscure an accurate <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">overall
judgment of the Oil for Food <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">program.
For example, the inquiry does not <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">look into
what happened to the $10 billion <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in OFF
surpluses that were handed to the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">American
occupation authorities for the Development <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Fund for
Iraq, for which no accounting <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">has been
provided either to Congress <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">or to the
International Advisory and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Monitoring
Board. It was not in his committee's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">mandate,
said Volcker, to determine <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">how much
money was handed out, much of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">it in
no-bid contracts, to companies close to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the White
House. Stuart W. Bowen, the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">U.S.
special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">since
October 2004, has also been <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">unsuccessfully
trying to find out what happened <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to the $10
billion, which had been <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">augmented
by a matching amount from <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">frozen
Iraq reserves. Notably, the press that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">had
fulminated against the United Nations <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">has been
silent on this matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Similarly,
little attention has been paid <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to the
fact that the Oil for Food program <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">funneled
$20 billion of Iraqi oil revenues to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the largest
reparations scheme since Versailles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Even at
current reduced rates, 5 percent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of Iraqi
oil money will be diverted indefinitely <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to pay the
balance of $30 billion <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">in
accepted claims. Kuwait has refused to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">discuss
dropping these reparation demands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">These
figures clearly overshadow Sevan's alleged <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">$147,000
in payoffs-both in quantity <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and their
effect-but have not had one-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The True
UN Scandal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">hundredth
of the media coverage. The Security <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Council
voted for both handovers of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">cash,
which perhaps makes a much stronger <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">case for
political reform of the organization <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">than the
Volcker report makes for the long <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">accepted
need for managerial reforms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Neither
the United Nations nor any <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">other
organization should be allowed to excuse <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">incompetence
or corruption by pointing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the finger
at other organizations and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">countries.
There were serious faults in the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">OFF
program, inherent in the mixture of political <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">controls
and motives behind it, and, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">as Annan
himself said, it was far too ambitious <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">a program
for the UN to undertake. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">But, it is
legitimate to contrast the froth <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and
indignation over OFF with the relative <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">silence
from the same critics over the missing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">funds
provided to Iraq. What was immediately <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">apparent
was that the UN reconstruction <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">effort
proved incapable of defending <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">itself
against a politically motivated assault <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on its
integrity. Though there is a big <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">constituency
for the United Nations within <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the United
States, it is essentially passive: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">with a few
honorable exceptions, no leading <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">figures
stood up to defend the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Even as
Kofi Annan retired, the stains lingered <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on both
him and the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Among the
obvious lessons are that the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">international
community should never impose <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">such
draconian economic sanctions on a <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">nation,
and that such resolutions should, in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">any case,
contain a sunset clause to prevent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">veto
holders maintaining penalties in pursuit <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">of selfish
national interests. The biggest <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">lesson,
however, is the need for an independent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">and strong
international civil service in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
secretariat. This has not been helped by <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the
failure of successive U.S. administrations <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to pay UN
assessments on time and their <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">tacit
connivance in slander campaigns. In an <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">interview
with Kofi Annan just before he <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">resigned,
he put it with typical understatement: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">"There
have been times when it has <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">been
tough, particularly when some people <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">on the
Hill or the right wing begin attacking <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the UN and
the secretary general, and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">no one
pulls them back even though that's <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">the same
organization that you are going to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">turn to
tomorrow. If you undermine the organization <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">to that
extent, your own population <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">may ask
you ëWhy are you going to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">this
organization that you've discredited so <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">much?'"
Why, indeed?ï <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Notes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">1. The
Volcker reports are available online at <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">www.iic-offp.org.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">2. Jeffrey
A. Meyer and Mark G. Califrano, Good <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Intentions
Corrupted: The Oil-for-Food Scandal and the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Threat to
the U.N., introduction by Paul A. Volcker <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">(New York:
PublicAffairs, 2006). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">WORLD
POLICY JOURNAL ï WINTER 2006/07 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /></div>
Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-79035163137462333362017-10-14T16:05:00.006-04:002020-10-27T17:01:53.542-04:00Damage to Catalonia!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: white; direction: ltr; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 42px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
"This is my truth. Tell me yours." <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneurin_Bevan" name="Aneurin Bevan Wiki" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 42px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Aneurin Bevan</a>, founder of Tribune.</h2></div></div></div>
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<br />
<article class="post-30107 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-comment category-blog" id="post-30107" style="border-bottom: none; box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 1em;"><header style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 10px;"><hgroup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 34px; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Letter From America</h1>
<h6 class="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; direction: ltr; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Written By: <a class="url fn n" href="http://www.tribunemagazine.org/author/ian-williams/" rel="me" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Ian Williams">Ian Williams</a></h6>
<h6 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; direction: ltr; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Published: October 13, 2017 Last modified: October 13, 2017</h6>
</hgroup></header><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Between Darth Vader imitators brutalizing Catalans and Donald Trump at the UN, sovereignty is in the air, and not just in Catalonia. Donald Trump made “sovereignty” a theme of his speech to the UN for the opening of the General Assembly.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
There was a lot of adverse comment since it was discordant with the spirit of the world body, and indeed it is – now. But it does hew to the original letter of the UN Charter, which makes it plain that the main purpose of the organization was to preserve and defend the sovereignty of the nation states who were its members.</div>
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The preamble of the Charter does start with “We the Peoples of the world,” but within a few paragraphs and months it was clear that the founders were only kidding. The sovereignty of the nation state is the bedrock principle of the organization, as one would expect for a body that had Saudi Arabia and the Soviet Union, not to mention the segregationist USA, as original signatories and which was set up in response to predatory annexations by the Axis.</div>
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National sovereignty took shape in the Treaty of Westphalia, which, apart from a lot of sordid horse-trading to end the Thirty Years War, encapsulated the concept that what a ruler did inside a sovereign state was nobody else’s business. But of course, once again they were only kidding: it only applied to West Europeans and it was fine to go to the rescue of Christians in Muslim countries and to liberate little brown brothers across the world from uncivilized rule.</div>
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Back in 2003, China kept trying to add “and separatist activities” to resolutions on terrorism, until put down by Jeremy Greenstock, one of the better British Ambassadors to the UN, who pointed out that nothing in international law, nor even British law, prohibited people supporting or wanting self determination.</div>
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Hence the chill with Trump’s enthusiasm for invoking sovereignty… Russia, China, Burma Venezuela, Burundi, Serbia… you could almost draw up a Human Rights Watch list from the speakers who echoed his invocation of sovereignty from the podium of the General Assembly.</div>
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They are not talking about the sovereignty of the peoples, but about the untrammeled powers they claim as rulers of nations. In a similar way, the fans of Lenin’s ghost across the left are now much quicker to invoke national sovereignty than workers’ unity. And it seems that Madrid shares Beijing’s views on advocating self-determination. Indeed, May’s government supports it by proxy: if you make it illegal to vote on self determination then it is fine to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to stop them in order to “uphold the law”.</div>
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I suspect Madrid’s lawyers would be hard put to cite a Spanish custom, let alone small print, that allows black clad storm troopers to concuss peaceful Catalan grannies trying to vote.</div>
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To put it mildly, this is counterproductive. Those who are firmly attached to the metaphysical idea of a nation state usually have difficulty learning from reality, and one surefire lesson from history is that telling people they do not have the right even to consider reaping that metaphysical image is thoroughly counterproductive.</div>
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But self-determination plus sovereignty are explosive concepts when mixed. “Why should I be a minority in your country, when you can be a minority in mine?” as the old Balkan adage had it. Self-determination can be negotiated to allow all concerned their rights. “Sovereignty” almost always implies a claimed right to abuse people’s rights in the name of a notional nation.</div>
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The refusal of Madrid and Buenos Aires to even consider that the Falklanders or Gibraltarians have rights or a voice in their future has guaranteed predictable near unanimity in referenda. It would have taken a tremendous amount of making nice by Belgrade to win over the Kosovars, but the Serbian refusal even to apologize to the victims of years of apartheid that culminated in attempted ethnic cleansing, shifted the referendum odds on independence from high probability to complete certainty.</div>
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With Gibraltar as the best example of Rajoy’s tact, sadly his actions in Catalonia have now switched a not very probable victory for independence closer to near certainty. There are degrees of separation and co-habitation. Wooing works better than whipping, but sending in thousands of Darth Vader imitations from outside Catalonia to beat up locals wanting a say in their future is epochal idiocy calculated to change the minds of any Catalans who might have wanted to stay part of a larger Iberian polity.</div>
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If Rajoy keeps it up, he may lose the Basques next.</div>
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About Ian Williams</h5>
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Ian Williams is Tribune's UN correspondent</div></div></div></section></footer></article></div><aside class="large-4 columns article_sidebar" role="complimentary" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: right; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px 1em 1em; position: relative; width: 187.5px;">
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Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-59319175042366026352017-06-17T15:45:00.001-04:002017-06-17T15:45:47.994-04:00UK, Lost Empire, Knackered Trojan Horse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Letter From America</h1>
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Written By: <a class="url fn n" href="http://www.tribunemagazine.org/author/ian-williams/" rel="me" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Ian Williams">Ian Williams</a></h6>
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Published: June 17, 2017 Last modified: June 17, 2017</h6>
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Maybe the so-called Special Relationship gets extra spirit from the Tory “understanding” with the DUP. In both Washington and London, the purported leaders of their countries do not have a mandate from a majority of the electorate, but both depend on the votes of bigoted anti-Diluvian evangelists, who do actually believe in the Flood described in The Bible, but do not believe in the flood lapping around their feet from sea ice melts.</div>
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The former Ian Paisley’s degree from the Bob Jones University did not endow him or the DUP with the ecumenism of modern American Evangelists who have now expediently forsworn their traditional anti-Papism to ally with reactionary Catholic Bishops against their common enemy – modern tolerance.</div>
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And both the DUP and Republican evangelical right in the US share an apocalyptic Christian Zionist view that makes them support Netanyahu and the far right in Israel. It is worth remembering that theological roots of this are not based on some sentimental philosemitism but on a reading of the book of Revelations that sees the gathering of the Jews in the Holy Land as a necessary precursor to the rapture, Armageddon and the Second Coming. It is only good for the Jews if you regard being converted to Christianity or being thoroughly smitten by a vengeful deity as a blessing.</div>
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Sadly, Trump’s unbounded admiration for Nigel Farage seems to have inhibited him from tweeting support for May. We can assume that a blessing from the US president might have lost her even more seats. Domestic resistance, even in his own party, tempers some of Trump’s policy eccentricities at home but the presidency’s powers over foreign policy give him more leeway abroad, although, even there, the foreign policy establishment has inhibited some of his wayward options. For example, although like so many previous presidents he promised to move the US Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as Congress has mandated, the State Department’s residual attachment to international law has forced him to postpone it yet again.</div>
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However, Farage notwithstanding, the Trump administration has even less time than Obama for the so-called special relationship with Britain, a phrase very rarely heard in the US media except when Washington is looking for London to send sepoys to lend international flavour to yet another military folly.</div>
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However, we sometimes forget that the “special relationship” was very much a Labour invention. After fighting World War Two alone for over two years Ernest Bevin wanted NATO to cement an American commitment. Churchill condemned Attlee’s permission for US bases in Britain as a derogation of sovereignty while Attlee committed troops and treasure to support the US in Korea, even if that was mandated by the UN.</div>
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Suez showed who was in charge of that special relationship. Indeed, forgotten now, but newsworthy at the time was that Senator Joe McCarthy (and his sidekick Robert Kennedy) had Winston Churchill and the UK in their sites for trading with China during the Korean War. They pointed out that the tangential British contribution to the Chinese war effort probably equalled the value of the British input into the Korean war itself.</div>
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While on the one hand, Brexit adds cogent geopolitical reasoning for keeping friendly with the Americans, since the UK is now again just an isolated off-shore island, on the other hand Trump’s silence on the matter has devalued the US commitment to NATO’s common defence. Recent Tory miscalculations, on the referendum and the election do indeed suggest that belief in fairies is a strong component in conservative politics, but can even they believe that an isolationist Trump administration feels any special regard for Britain?</div>
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Geoffrey Howe at a UN briefing once explained that British foreign policy was the same now as in the days of Pitt – to ensure that no combination of powers could arise in Europe that could threaten our island, and I suspect that most conservative governments did indeed thwart and sabotage European unity with that in mind. EU foreign policy has almost always been a joke, depending as it did on consensus and thus effective abstention on controversial issues. Britain lost its empire and found a role as Washington’s Trojan horse in Brussels.</div>
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The current chaos suggests other possibilities. Perhaps it is time to audition for a new role, or rather resume the position of supporter of the UN Charter and international law. It is something that Labour should be thinking about, taking up where Robin Cook left off.</div>
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About Ian Williams</h5>
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Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-28940624202731523502017-06-13T10:54:00.000-04:002017-06-13T10:54:18.435-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<article class="post-28887 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-comment category-blog" id="post-28887" style="border-bottom: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 1em;"><header style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 10px;"><hgroup style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 34px; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<a href="http://www.tribunemagazine.org/2017/05/letter-from-america-6/" target="_blank">Tribune: Letter From America</a></h1>
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Written By: <span style="color: #b30000;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Ian Williams</span></span></a></h6>
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<a href="http://www.tribunemagazine.org/2017/05/letter-from-america-6/" target="_blank">Published: May 20, 2017 </a></h6>
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George W Bush once complained that he was “misunderestimated.” You can almost sympathize. Donald Trump has made Bush Jnr seem a towering giant among commanders-in-chief. Yes, like Trump, Bush was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he absorbed a microscopic residual sense of noblesse oblige from it, while there is no scintilla of nobility or obligation in Trump.</div>
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Real estate and gambling, Trump’s prime avocations, are all about skimming money as it’s churned, not actually creating and making things that people might need. He has been one jump ahead of his creditors for years. And while he might have once installed gold-plated bathroom fixtures, you can be sure that the people who sold and installed them were cheated of some or all of their pay. While posing as an entrepreneurial genius, he drove casinos into bankruptcy, bought, renamed and lost the Trump Shuttle airline, the Trump Plaza hotel and finally got into his stride by adding his brand name to buildings financed by people with insufficient taste and intellect to appreciate that in early modern English “trump” meant “fart.” Be serious, how do you lose money with a casino?</div>
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So, Trump is indubitably guilty – but of what? The Russia thing evokes deep reservoirs of historical prejudice in the Democrats, but has amazingly little traction with the Republicans and Trump supporters. Did he have business dealings with the Russians? Almost certainly, and very likely they financed his dubious projects. After all, Russian kleptocrats are the Saudi oil-sheiks of our day, with lots of spare money and no accountability. And Trump and his team are incredibly incompetent. The Clinton’s were discreet in collecting the dinars from the Sheiks; Trump appointees have been caught lying about their chats with Russians.</div>
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But there is something worrying about all the fuss. Firstly, how can any detached observer keep a straight face when American pundits wax indignant about foreign interference in US elections? The world is spattered with countries from Iran to Chile whose elections have been overturned by US subterfuge and conspiracy – not to mention those where the Marines just went in to adjust the outcome.</div>
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US “interference” played a large part in empowering Boris Yeltsin and the consequent collapse and looting of the Russian economy. And you don’t have to be a Chomskyite conspiracy theorist to see the US funding and advice behind many of the so-called “colour” revolutions around the globe. Even if you accept, as I would, that most of these risings were justified and mainly fuelled by local anger, there is ample evidence of American funding.</div>
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So, were the Russians hacking during the election? Almost certainly, but no one claims that they interfered with the famously vulnerable American electronic voting machines. Nor did they produce “fake news” or falsified emails, leaving that to Fox and Breitbart, although their ‘bots might have turned out the Trump vote the same way that foreign donors are attacking Corbyn in this election. However, the main charge is that Russian inspired hackers exposed correspondence between the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.</div>
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Now amid all the Clinton camp’s squawks of indignation blaming the Russians for losing her the election, there is not the tiniest hint of contrition for what was actually revealed, which was that DNC apparatchiks and Clinton conspired to ensure the defeat of Bernie Sanders. It is indeed an unusual role for Putin’s revived KGB, but they were revealing rather than concealing or distorting facts. If the facts showed Hillary in bad light that was because what she was doing was bad!</div>
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The election was indeed stolen, but it has been a prolonged hegemonic heist. The Bolshevized conservative wing of the Republicans has been pursuing the long march to power while the Clintons and their plutocratic pals were hollowing out the Democratic Party and concentrating on big donors to get themselves in the Senate and the White House. With centralized Leninist discipline, the avowed right took over the Republican Party and won power in states, counties and cities across the country. They used it to gerrymander districts, purge voter rolls and ensure that even if people vote in the face of all the contrived obstacles, it is their local officials who count the resulting ballots. They have deployed their people in the courts, not least the Supreme Court, and are set to add even more.</div>
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Hillary was right to say there was a vast right-wing conspiracy, but she flattered herself to think she was the main target. These guys are serious about reconstructing the US as some Ayn Rand dystopia – and frankly the Clintons have never posed much of an obstacle to it, as their steps at dismantling of the New Deal demonstrated.</div>
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Be warned: it is coming soon to a House of Commons near you. While they have been too clever to acknowledge it, the Tory Party has clearly been studying the techniques of voter dissuasion and boundary reform as gerrymandering.</div>
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About Ian Williams</h5>
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Ian Williams is Tribune's UN correspondent</div>
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Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-53944100158127133082017-06-13T10:53:00.003-04:002017-06-13T10:53:51.335-04:00UN - Occupied Territory or Disputed?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,</em></strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">June/July 2017, pp. 32-33</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">United Nations Report</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Emulating the Settlers He Supports, Israeli Ambassador Danon Seizes U.N. Territory</span></h1>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">By Ian Williams</span></em></h3>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="williams" class="caption" src="https://www.washingtonreport.me/images/2017_June_July/williams.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; margin: 20px 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., speaks to journalists, May 11, 2017. (U.N. PHOTO/MARK GARTEN)" /></span></strong><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., speaks to journalists, May 11, 2017. (U.N. PHOTO/MARK GARTEN)</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">FOR A LONG TIME,</strong> Israeli right wingers have scorned and reviled the United Nations and all its works—apart, of course, from General Assembly Resolution 181 partitioning Mandatory Palestine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As an Israeli right-wing settler supporter himself, Ambassador Danny Danon, the state’s permanent representative to the U.N., surprised many Israelis when he took the position, which Netanyahu had offered him as a way to get rid of a domestic rival. The ambassador, however, has exploited his position well. In the U.N., occupied territories, seizing ground wherever and whenever he can and then expanding from there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though his grandstanding in the General Assembly is aimed less at winning over other U.N. members and more at amassing potential future contributors for his political ambitions back home from affluent American supporters, it does indeed have the effect of softening up the institution, whose staff have seen what happens to people who utter inconvenient truths.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the halls of the U.N. itself, the Americans had to bully the West European and Other Group some years ago to accept Israel as an associate member of their regional bloc. It is now a full member, and a majority of the group successfully placed Danon as chair of the U.N.’s Legal Committee—the U.N. equivalent of putting Goldman Sachs in charge of banking regulation. If the poacher keeps on poaching, any arguments about promoting him to gamekeeper lose some validity, but it’s a measure of the success of Israel’s PR push that the West Europeans could vote for a state that has a record-breaking run of scofflaw behavior standing in defiance of innumerable U.N. resolutions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One cannot help but suspect that the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">de facto </em>axis that has developed between Saudi Arabia and Israel against Iran has also contributed to the successful “normalization” of Israel in the international system. As we saw, the Saudis explicitly claimed quasi-Israeli privileges when they successfully censored a report on the effect of their horrifying bombardment of Yemen, and they continue to evade successfully examination of the effect of their sanctions on Yemeni civilians. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has to be said that while the defection of reactionary Arab regimes might enhance the Palestinians’ moral high ground, the Israelis and their friends almost have a point about the U.N.’s special treatment of Israel. In reaction to their military and economic impotence, Palestine and its remaining friends have generated innumerable resolutions against Israeli behavior, each of them separately well merited. But the overwhelming number has tended to devalue those issues that matter, and of course the nature of the complainants leaves much to be desired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At one time the resolutionary road to liberation was an attempt by Palestinians to fight on the only battlefield that they had a chance of winning, but now it is almost counterproductive—although the reactions of Israel must be gratifying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The UNESCO board, for example, pointed out the legal truth that West Jerusalem is not under legal Israeli sovereignty, even if it has parked the Knesset there. Trump’s promises notwithstanding, that is why there are no diplomatic missions there. And innumerable resolutions condemn the continuing Israeli presence in “the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem,” which of course galls them almost as much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Israeli response has been to enlist the U.S. externally, and lobbies internally in many countries, to soften their positions so countries will now abstain on resolutions that they used to support, and in some cases—notably the Anglo-Saxon axis of Canada, Australia and the UK—to move closer to the U.S. on Middle East questions. Once again, the Saudi dimension is important. Margaret Thatcher, for example, did not care in the slightest for Palestinian rights—but she cared deeply about arms sales to the Gulf states and looking after their petrodollars banking for them. The new British Prime Minister Theresa May is equally concerned about arms sales—but it is now clear the possibility that British diplomatic positions could veer toward Israel now weigh much less heavily in Riyadh than in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So it is against this U.N. backdrop against which Ambassador Danon is now screening his <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">hasbara </em>(propaganda) events, most recently using a U.N. committee room for a forum to pillory the Palestine Authority for payments to the families of alleged terrorists. In particular, Danon has used his office to book the U.N. General Assembly Hall to sponsor “Ambassadors Against BDS” mass rallies where the usual suspects among pro-Israeli organizations bused in their supporters to fill the hall. Although the Assembly has been available for private hire in the past—when, for example, the Church of Scientology rented it—U.N. officials carefully covered U.N. insignia so the organization’s integrity would not be compromised. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On this occasion, the podium with the U.N. badge formed the backdrop for Danon’s photo-ops, with thousands of supporters waving Israeli flags. Interestingly, apart from Danon there were few ambassadors actually present, but billing U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley as his guest speaker doubtless helped intimidate any U.N. officials who remembered U.N. decisions on the Middle East. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Haley is of Indian origins and is close to the current Indian government. But one would never guess the role played by boycotts in the India independence movement, which targeted government salt and British manufactures in an effort to get rid of the colonial yoke. Indeed, one would never guess the iconic role played by U.S. agitators in boycotting tea imports in times past in Boston. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One cannot help but wonder why other states, like South Africa, do not join hands with the Palestine Mission for a conference on the essential role played by civil society organizations in BDS movements against apartheid and other repressive regimes. In case the flood of Israeli indignation clouds the view, one should perhaps remember that the BDS movement is an attempt by civil society to enforce international law and U.N. decisions on the government that has been defying them for 50 years!</span></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">APARTHEID REPORT WITHDRAWN</span></strong></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps most symbolic of the march of Israel through the institutions is the withdrawal of the report from the Economic Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) on Israeli Apartheid, which brings together all these strands. The impassioned torrents of outrage from Israeli supporters about BDS and comparisons with apartheid have intimidated commentators across Europe and America, despite their essential validity. The white regime in South Africa was, after all, a close collaborator with Israel in sanctions busting, arms trading and, it would appear, even nuclear weapons development, so quite why the comparison should have become odious to the point of “anti-Semitism” is a mystery. After all, few, if any, of the people now so outraged objected to Israel’s aid and support for the apartheid regime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was a dilemma for ESCWA. Prof. Richard Falk has an outstanding record in international law and human rights, but like anyone else who submits critical reports on Israel he has been demonized and vilified. But not to use his expertise would be to bow down to politically motivated slander, so he was commissioned, along with Virginia Tilley, anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ad hominem </em>slurs were wheeled out immediately—think poor Judge Richard Goldstone—and cries came for the report to be withdrawn. New Secretary-General António Guterres had just taken office and the biggest item on his agenda was relations between the U.N. and the new U.S. president, Donald Trump, who had adopted a strong anti-U.N. and pro-Israel stance, so when the U.S. asked for the report to be removed, he folded. Despite the U.N.’s withdrawal of the report, it is still available online, at <www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/26223/un-report-establishes-israeli-apartheid;-fallout-b>, and it is still valid. It is reassuring that Rima Khalaf, ESCWA’s director, resigned in protest at being forced to take down the report.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The report meticulously demonstrates the apartheid-like conditions Israel imposes—and one should remember that there is a binding International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid—which, like the earlier Genocide Convention, commits states to action about it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Indeed, that is one of the reasons Israeli leaders get so upset about the comparison, since although the blow to their reputation can hurt in PR or political terms, such charges carry international legal weight, not least with the International Criminal Court hovering around. Similarly, they might have physical possession of the occupied territories (and East Jerusalem, of course!), but without legal title that only the U.N. can give them, their behavior is subject to potential jurisdiction of the ICC and other tribunals adjudging the Geneva Conventions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, as a resounding footnote, the report also answers the question Israeli supporters keep asking: why is Israel singled out so often at the U.N.? The report explains: “the situation in Israel-Palestine constitutes an unmet obligation of the organized international community to resolve a conflict partially generated by its own actions. That obligation dates formally to 1922, when the League of Nations established the British Mandate for Palestine as a territory eminently ready for independence as an inclusive secular State, yet incorporated into the Mandate the core pledge of the Balfour Declaration to support the ‘Jewish people’ in their efforts to establish in Palestine a ‘Jewish national home.’ Later United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions attempted to resolve the conflict generated by that arrangement, yet could not prevent related proposals, such as partition, from being overtaken by events on the ground. If this attention to the case of Israel by the United Nations appears exceptional, therefore, it is only because no comparable linkage exists between United Nations actions and any other prolonged denial to a people of their right of self-determination.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that, dear reader, is why the international community keeps going on about Israel—it is the world’s own guilty conscience. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: olive;">◙</span></span></div>
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Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19421292.post-25570355047167658022017-04-30T11:00:00.004-04:002020-10-27T17:07:16.211-04:00Letter From America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Written By: <a class="url fn n" href="http://www.tribunemagazine.org/author/ian-williams/" rel="me" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b30000; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Ian Williams">Ian Williams</a></h6>
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Published: April 30, 2017 Last modified: April 30, 2017</h6>
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There is a spectre haunting the world’s left. It is the ghost of the Comintern. Over sixty years since Nikita Khrushchev blew the whistle on the “workers’ state,” and a quarter of century after the Soviet Union disintegrated, Moscow current kleptocratic rulers can still enthrall the hearts and minds of alleged peace activists and anti-imperialists.</div>
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Even in the old days, the regime that had invaded Poland, the Baltics and Finland, suppressed popular uprisings in East Berlin, Prague and Budapest and had its closing debacle in Afghanistan, was an unlikely poster child for nonintervention and national sovereignty. Putin, with his troops holding chunks of Ukraine, the Crimea, Georgia and Moldova, does keep up some of the old predatory Soviet habits, but his Orthodox Slavic nationalism no longer even feigns a socialist tradition.</div>
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How Moscow still has reflexive support from so many, is surprising, but even more so is how its ectoplasmic aura of leftist virtue extends to cover some of the nastiest regimes on the planet. Syria’s recidivist mass-murderer Bashir Al-Assad, like Saddam Hussein before him, has become an expedient anti-imperialist icon, with Moscow vetoing resolutions that would let chemical weapons inspectors or the International Criminal Court investigate allegations about both sides.</div>
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Some of the left who used to talk about proletarian internationalism are now staunch supporters of national sovereignty, defending the right of unelected “sovereigns” to kill, starve and torture their citizenry without let or hindrance. They condemn “intervention” in abstract even as they cheer the reality of Iranian, Russian and Hezbollah fighters for Al-Assad.</div>
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But allowing the possibility of intervention begs the question of what form it should take. Being for or against “intervention” is like arguing with a Christian Scientist about the pros and cons of surgery. Supporting “surgery” does not necessarily embrace brain surgery with a hatchet, any more than accepting the possibility of intervention means cheering Trump’s missile strike.</div>
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Trump’s raid was a self-serving and useless gesture which repeated the illegality of the Iraq war while emulating its ineffectuality. The $100 million’s worth of Raytheon missiles boosted the stock price of the company while leaving the airbase runway intact for Al Assad’s air-force to continue bombing Syrian towns. It also boosted Trump’s political standing with all who like that sort of thing. Chilcot’s labours were all in vain for the Labour rightists now wildly applauding Trump. It led many to overlook the messy detail that Trump is cutting payments to the UN agencies that have been feeding and sheltering the Syrian refugees that he will not allow in the US.</div>
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The bombing was worse than a crime. It was a blunder. It gave the Russians cover for vetoing yet another resolution against the carnage in Syria. Within a day, the majority of the Security Council voted for a resolution that would have passed except for the Russian veto. Even with the veto, it could have lent some moral authority for action, and even opened up the possibility of referring the issue to the General Assembly – except for the illegal bombing.</div>
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I trust that most of those who demonstrated against the bombing were equally repelled by the nerve gas bombs that were dropped, almost certainly by Al-Assad, but one cannot help suspect that for a significant number of so-called peace activists, either the nerve-gassing had not happened, or it was self-inflicted by the rebels.</div>
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“My country right or wrong” has never been an effective political principle – but somebody’s else country right or wrong is probably even more dubious. Being appropriately skeptical of the BBC and CNN is one thing, but that should not lead to absolute faith in RT and the Syrian News Agency.</div>
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Since the Syrian regime has failed to protect its own people, under UN’s Responsibility to Protect resolution, the rest of the world community has a duty to act – which it has been failing to fulfil for too long now. Bombing does nothing for the Syrian people. At this late stage, the problem is trying to decide what would not make things worse. Every last one of the regional players is now too ethically and politically compromised to be trusted with the task.</div>
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But the attempt to reduce it to simple binary choices needs rebutting. Neither Al-Assad nor ISIS deserve support and any solution should sideline both. There are partial possibilities. A UN-mandated no fly zone, rigorously enforced safe havens for civilians, but there is understandably little enthusiasm from countries to send their troops into the killing fields of the formerly Fertile Crescent.</div>
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However, there are signs of tectonic shifts. The Chinese did not join the Russians in the vote. Is Putin prepared to risk diplomatic isolation for a regime that embarrasses him so often? Of course, there is a missing link here. The Americans, still, are almost as essential as they think they are. However, who can have hopes for a Missing Link who rhapsodizes over chocolate cake as he announces his breach of the UN Charter to the Chinese President?</div></div></article></div></div>
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Deadline Pundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918842534306990045noreply@blogger.com0