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| UNSC fails to issue press statement on 3rd anniversary of Hariri's murder |
| 2008-02-15 |
| The Security Council on Thursday failed to issue a French-drafted press statement on the third anniversary of Rafiq Hariri's assassination because some council members believed the draft focuses too much on the Special Tribunal and others said the situation in Lebanon is too tense and the council cannot afford to issue anything at this time. The council would have reaffirmed its "strongest condemnation" of the terrorist bombings that killed Hariri and others in 2005, paid tribute to their memory and "reiterated their condemnation of all targeted assassinations of Lebanese leaders and officials, particularly since 2004." It would also welcome the "decisive landmarks, including towards meeting budgetary requirements, as well as the Secretary-General's belief in the irreversibility of the establishment of the Tribunal." It would further call for the holding "without delay" of a free and fair presidential election in conformity with Lebanese constitutional rules, "without any foreign interference or influence," and with full respect for democratic institutions. A council member belonging to the Non-Aligned Movement told KUNA the situation in Lebanon "is tense enough. We don't need such a statement. What will it add?" Another diplomat said it focuses too much on the Special Tribunal to prosecute the suspects in Hariri's assassination. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #5 "Jaime Retief" comes immediately to mind. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-02-15 13:05 |
| #4 noW that John has departed |
| Posted by: Darrell 2008-02-15 10:08 |
| #3 "said the situation in Lebanon is too tense and the council cannot afford to issue anything at this time" Heaven knows we don't need the Security Council to be doing anything as drastic as issuing a press release when a situation is tense. I challenge anyone to detect so much as a molecule of testosterone in the U.N. not that John Bolton has departed. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2008-02-15 10:07 |
| #2 ...if the unilateralists would care to form an orderly queue on the left, please, and the multilateralists on the right. Thanks. |
| Posted by: Admiral Allan Ackbar 2008-02-15 10:02 |
| #1 I think this marks a significant milestone in the de-escalation of StronglyWordedMemos(tm) during the period of detente with the USSR, we had the SALT I and SALT II treaties. Ladies & Gentlemen, would anybody venture forth to second the motion that a round of "Strategic Strongly Worded Memo Limitation Talks" henceforthe to be known as SSWMLT I be herewith commenced with all due haste? |
| Posted by: Admiral Allan Ackbar 2008-02-15 10:00 |