|
U.S. Calls for U.N. Force for Liberia
EFLThe United States called Monday for the United Nations to send as many as 15,000 peacekeepers and 900 police officers to Liberia to help restore peace and start rebuilding the battered West African nation. The U.S. draft resolution circulated to Security Council members asks Secretary-General Kofi Annan to transfer authority to a new U.N. peacekeeping force in October. The draft would give the U.N. force a broad mandate to help implement a June 17 cease-fire agreement, assist Liberiaâs new transitional government, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, protect U.N. staff, and disarm combatants and retrain them for civilian life. They could work in any wig shop on State Street in Chicago. It also would send civilian staff. The council was scheduled to receive an open briefing Tuesday on Liberia. The U.N. Mission in Liberia, known as UNMIL, which would take over from the West Africans under the proposed U.S. resolution, would be authorized for a year and consist of ``up to 15,000 United Nations military personnel, including up to 250 military observers, and up to 900 civilian police officers, and a civilian component.ââ The draft resolution declares ``that the situation in Liberia continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security, to stability in the West Africa subregion, and to the peace process for Liberia.ââ Especially the possibility that Chuckles might come back. It condemns the continued fighting and calls on all parties ``to immediately cease hostilitiesââ and abide by the cease-fire and peace agreements. It demands that all countries prevent armed groups from further destabilizing Liberia and neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone. It also expresses alarm ``at the dire consequences of the prolonged conflict for the civilian population throughout the territory of Liberia.ââ Dire Consequencesâ¢? Thereâs a term we should have taken for use with Binny and Sammy! And others, still unnamed, to come ... The resolution would welcome the appointment of Jacques Klein as Annanâs envoy for Liberia and put him in charge of the U.N. mission. Klein predicted Friday a long haul in helping the country back onto its feet and called for generous contributions to rebuild the devastated country. So, who here would like Kleinâs job? Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-16 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18741 |