Real World

Funny how some will blindly defend the indefensible.




The Sunday Times October 01, 2006


Is there blood on his hands?

As Kofi Annan prepares to stand down as UN secretary-general, Adam LeBor investigates the accusations made against the world’s chief defender of human rights


THE CASE AGAINST KOFI ANNAN

Excerpt from the article:

Srebrenica is rarely mentioned nowadays in Annan’s offices on the 38th floor of the UN secretariat building in New York. He steps down in December after a decade as secretary-general. His retirement will be marked by plaudits. But behind the honorifics and the accolades lies a darker story: of incompetence, mismanagement and worse. Annan was the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) between March 1993 and December 1996. The Srebrenica massacre of up to 8,000 men and boys and the slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda happened on his watch. In Bosnia and Rwanda, UN officials directed peacekeepers to stand back from the killing, their concern apparently to guard the UN’s status as a neutral observer. This was a shock to those who believed the UN was there to help them.

Annan’s term has also been marked by scandal: from the sexual abuse of women and children in the Congo by UN peacekeepers to the greatest financial scam in history, the UN-administered oil-for-food programme. Arguably, a trial of the UN would be more apt than a leaving party.

The charge sheet would include guarding its own interests over those it supposedly protects; endemic opacity and lack of accountability; obstructing investigations, promoting the inept and marginalising the dedicated. Such accusations can be made against many organisations. But the UN is different. It has a moral mission.

It was founded by the allies in 1945 to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” and “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights”. Its key documents – the Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the genocide convention – are the most advanced formulation of human rights in history. And they have been flouted by UN member states for decades.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...8626_1,00.html

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Pujo

He's no gem, but the indictments in the article seem to be against the UN and not particularly Kofi Annan. Mismanagement & the oil-for-food program were his babies, but the secretary-general can't give orders to peacekeeping forces, and certainly he can't be liable for the actions of member states. I don't like the UN, and I don't like Annan, but the article doesn't say what it purports to say.

Harry Boy

The man is a piece of ***** but the American liberals love him because he Hates Bush and Conservative America just as much as they do.

Kofi and Jessie Jackoff are two peas in a pod.

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Harry Boy (Genius)

In The Absence Of Law And Order Society Will Surely Destroy Itself

Real World

Feel the same way about George Bush?

Next!

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Pujo

That doesn't make sense, but I liked how you worked George Bush into it.

BruschiOnTap

It sucks to see someone who represents such important ethical standards fail to live up to them, but I've never been a big fan of his... oil-for-food is just another way for rich nations to short-change oil-producers and oil companies to gouge consumers...

Annan seems more like a Jimmy Carter when the UN needs a Bill Clinton, someone who will get things done and command respect from member nations. I think it would be good for the UN to have a well-meaning American as secretary-general rather than a token 3rd world representative, seeing as the UN BADLY needs American public support. An American who didn't toe the same line as our appointed rep would boost worldwide confidence in the UN, IMO

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Mannings never prosper

Patters

The Times of London is a Murdoch paper, so it's sort like Fox News and the New York Post in its lack of journalistic integrity. My advice: Look up each subject in Wikipedia, which provides a more objective view of some of the issues. After reading the article, and reading some of the relevant Wikipedia entries, one discovers the article is very incomplete, and in each situation the UN was beset the limitations of the UN resolutions, manpower issues, and lack of US support. That said, the UN did make some mistakes and did remove a number of officials who failed.

On the author's own website, it says, "LeBor argues the UN must return to its founding principles, take a moral stand and set the agenda of the Security Council instead of merely following the lead of the great powers." As I have said of the UN, it's only as strong as its member states, and until the U.S. chooses to be one of the community of nations, it's hard to see how the U.N. will be effective in regions that require tremendous military expertise, such as those cited in the article.

There's too much wrong with the article to disuss in this thread, but if you want to choose one example, I'll be happy to respond. At any rate, I'll always think Annan did an okay job, considering the rabid hate for the UN by the United States. Until the world's only superpower becomes more supportive of the UN, the UN will have difficulty in its military operations.

Real World

It's simple. GW is the face of the United States. He is the president. Therefore, he recieves his fair share of responsibility for whatever policies this country undertakes during his tenure. I would expect that Kofi Annan would be held to the same standard. When the US sends troops to Iraq, ultimately it reflects on GW. The same holds true with UN forces abroad.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Real World

Bruschi, I've been a huge proponent of Slick Willy as Secretary General of the UN. It's an absolute perfect fit. He's well regarded throughout the world, respected, and is an absolute politicians politician. He'd be perfect. His being SG would serve two needs, a competant SG who would reinvigerate American support, and as a fence mender who could help restore favor to the US image abroad. Problem is, it won't happen.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Real World

The part I bolded is moronic. Wilkipedia? Please.


Do you honestly think this is the only article on the subject? Oh you are more of an appologist than I thought Frauders. Just admit it, the UN & Kofi Annan are total jokes. It's ok to admit the obvious Frauders. The two are indefensable.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897