PrintThe sky is falling at the UN
The sky is falling at the UN. Or at least the Associated Press seems to think so. Under a headline of "U.S. tries to exclude some from U.N. Group," AP's Barry Schweid writes that
"The Bush administration is trying to exclude seven nations from a new U.N. human rights council, saying their own records make them unfit to sit in judgment of others." Mr. Schweid sounds pretty dubious about America's highhanded behavior.
Well, let's look at the countries Ambassador John Bolton wants to throw off the UN Human Rights Commission. The State Department has a pretty low—key description of their behavior just last year.
1. Sudan —— " Genocide committed by the Government and jinjaweed occurred in Darfur during 2004." (This has been going on for two decades.)
2. Liberia ——— "Some former rebel combatants continued to commit human rights abuses, including the arbitrary detention, extortion, theft, rape, and battery of civilians ... forcible conscription, including of children, and the blocking of humanitarian assistance."
3. Congo, Democratic Republic ——— "Government security forces committed unlawful killings, torture, beatings, acts of rape, extortion, and other abuses, such as lootings and interference with citizens' right to privacy."
4. Ivory Coast ——— " ... there were credible reports of pro—government death squad activity, extrajudicial killings, and disappearances. Security forces frequently resorted to lethal force to combat widespread violent crime and sometimes beat detainees and prisoners. The Government failed to bring perpetrators of most abuses to justice, and members of security forces operated with relative impunity."
5. Somalia ——— " Children remained among the chief victims of the continuing violence. Boys as young as 14 or 15 years of age have participated in militia attacks, and many youths were members of the marauding gangs known as "morian" (parasites or maggots).... There was a continued influx of foreign Muslim teachers into the country to teach in private Koranic and Madrassa schools... Medical care was rudimentary, and only a small percentage of children had access to adequate medical facilities. ...Female Genital Mutilation was performed on approximately 98 percent of girls.
6. Sierra Leone ——— "Ahmed Tejan Kabbah was re—elected President in 2002, and his Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won a large majority in Parliament. .. there were numerous reports of election irregularities. "
7. Rwanda ——— " According to several human rights organizations and government officials, hundreds of witnesses to the Genocide were killed throughout the country, reportedly to prevent testimonies and undermine the rural justice system (Gacaca). ... Approximately 80,000 individuals accused of genocide continued to be imprisoned while awaiting trial.... The law does not prohibit specifically forced and compulsory labor by children, and there were reports that former RCD/G forces in the DRC forcibly recruited children from refugee camps within Rwanda with the aid of local Rwandan officials (see Sections 2.d. and 5)."
Just a few questions.
ONE: Why did it take it our new Ambassador John Bolton to start cleaning out the cesspit of the UN Human Rights Commission?
TWO: How does Ted Kennedy now feel about filibustering Bolton's appointment?
THREE: Where were France, Germany, Britain, Sweden, and all the other self—satisfied Europeans during the years of this unspeakable scandal?
FOUR: What good has Kofi Annan been doing for the last ten years?
FIVE: When will our media starting telling it like it is?
