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Dec. 2, 2004 23:16
Israel praises Canada for stands at UN
By URIEL HEILMAN
New York
Israeli officials at the United Nations said they're pleased this week that Canada decided to oppose one-sided condemnations of Israel in the UN General Assembly and that a UN panel recommended that terrorism, even in cases of national resistance, be deemed unacceptable.
This week, a special UN panel charged with recommending structural changes to the 60-year-old organization issued a much-anticipated report that, among other things, proposed expanding the UN Security Council to 24 members from 15, possibly sanctioning preemptive military attacks and classifying terrorism as unacceptable even in cases of national resistance.
Also this week, Canada's UN ambassador denounced the UN General Assembly's condemnation of Israel and announced that Canada would vote against two key resolutions condemning the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the past, Canada has abstained from such resolutions, and the votes are a signs of a broader shift in Canada's position vis- -vis Israel at the UN.
Israeli officials viewed the development as good news.
"I think that the change in the UN which we saw yesterday is a very positive one," an Israeli official said.
Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman declined to comment on the developments. Other officials cautioned that too much enthusiasm from Israel on this week's events ? particularly regarding the panel's recommendations on terrorism ? would only complicate efforts to solidify support for the moves.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan endorsed the report of the 16-member High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which was headed by former Thai prime minister Anand Panyarachun and included former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa, Russian foreign minister Evgenii Primakov and US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft.
"The report offers the United Nations a unique opportunity to refashion and renew our institutions," Annan said in a statement after its release. "I wholly endorse its core arguments for a broader, more comprehensive system of collective security."
Annan faced heavy criticism this week in a growing scandal over payments to his son, Kojo, as part of a corrupt oil-for-food program the UN administered for Iraq.
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein allegedly raised more than $21 billion by illegally circumventing UN sanctions, including the oil-for-food program, and Kojo Annan apparently had received payments until early this year from a firm that had a contract in the oil-for-food program.
The program was designed to provide the Iraqi people with food and medical needs, despite international sanctions against Iraq, in exchange for Iraqi oil. But Saddam diverted a substantial portion of the oil payments to his own coffers.
The secretary-general has appointed an independent inquiry into the oil-for-food program and said he had not known of the payments to his son, which were initially disclosed by the New York Sun newspaper.
In the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Canada voted against an annual resolution on "the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people," which Israeli officials say is biased against the Jewish state.
Is this just a pre-curser to the serious but indirect ass-kissing that will undoubtedly take place over the next four years? 😕
Dec. 2, 2004 23:16
Israel praises Canada for stands at UN
By URIEL HEILMAN
New York
Israeli officials at the United Nations said they're pleased this week that Canada decided to oppose one-sided condemnations of Israel in the UN General Assembly and that a UN panel recommended that terrorism, even in cases of national resistance, be deemed unacceptable.
This week, a special UN panel charged with recommending structural changes to the 60-year-old organization issued a much-anticipated report that, among other things, proposed expanding the UN Security Council to 24 members from 15, possibly sanctioning preemptive military attacks and classifying terrorism as unacceptable even in cases of national resistance.
Also this week, Canada's UN ambassador denounced the UN General Assembly's condemnation of Israel and announced that Canada would vote against two key resolutions condemning the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the past, Canada has abstained from such resolutions, and the votes are a signs of a broader shift in Canada's position vis- -vis Israel at the UN.
Israeli officials viewed the development as good news.
"I think that the change in the UN which we saw yesterday is a very positive one," an Israeli official said.
Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman declined to comment on the developments. Other officials cautioned that too much enthusiasm from Israel on this week's events ? particularly regarding the panel's recommendations on terrorism ? would only complicate efforts to solidify support for the moves.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan endorsed the report of the 16-member High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which was headed by former Thai prime minister Anand Panyarachun and included former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa, Russian foreign minister Evgenii Primakov and US national security adviser Brent Scowcroft.
"The report offers the United Nations a unique opportunity to refashion and renew our institutions," Annan said in a statement after its release. "I wholly endorse its core arguments for a broader, more comprehensive system of collective security."
Annan faced heavy criticism this week in a growing scandal over payments to his son, Kojo, as part of a corrupt oil-for-food program the UN administered for Iraq.
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein allegedly raised more than $21 billion by illegally circumventing UN sanctions, including the oil-for-food program, and Kojo Annan apparently had received payments until early this year from a firm that had a contract in the oil-for-food program.
The program was designed to provide the Iraqi people with food and medical needs, despite international sanctions against Iraq, in exchange for Iraqi oil. But Saddam diverted a substantial portion of the oil payments to his own coffers.
The secretary-general has appointed an independent inquiry into the oil-for-food program and said he had not known of the payments to his son, which were initially disclosed by the New York Sun newspaper.
In the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Canada voted against an annual resolution on "the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people," which Israeli officials say is biased against the Jewish state.
Is this just a pre-curser to the serious but indirect ass-kissing that will undoubtedly take place over the next four years? 😕
