On
Iran as
US Summons 15
on UN SC,
Russia Says
Bizarre, China
Wants Proof
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 12, updated
-- Asked about
the alleged
Iranian plot
against
Saudi Arabia's
Ambassador to
the US Adel
al-Jubeir,
Russian
Permanent
Representative
Vitaly Churkin
stopped
Wednesday
morning in
front of
the UN
Security
Council and
told the press
it "looks
rather
bizarre... But
I'm not an
expert."
After
an unnamed
"Western
diplomat" was
quoted on the
wires that
"the
US and Saudi
Arabia and
other allies
are discussing
the
possibility
of taking this
to the
security
council
because this
is an assault
on
a foreign
diplomat in
the US,"
multiple
sources at UN
told the
Press that the
US, presumably
through
Ambassador
Susan Rice,
would be
individually
briefing each
of the
Council's 15
members.
But
one European
Permanent
Representative
noted for his
sardonic wit
told the press
his schedule
might not
allow
for such a
briefing on
Wednesday,
"What's the
big deal?"
Later,
French
Permanent
Representative
Gerard Araud
told reporters
that he didn't
think the US
would formally
brief the
Council but as
to hearing
individually
from Susan
Rice, "Yes, as
for myself, we
will be
informed."
Exiting
the Council at
11:45 am,
Araud told the
press he had
gotten briefed
and that it
was
"convincing
and credible."
Later
still,
Chinese
Permanent
Representative
Li Baodong
told Inner
City Press he
would get
briefed by
Susan Rice on
Tuesday
afternoon, "we
want to see...
the proof."
Exiting the
Council at
12:40 pm,
Colombia
Permanent
Representative
Nestor Osorio
told the Press
he was briefed
by Ambassador
Rice and the
Saudi
Ambassador and
was given a
written
"synopsis" --
he gestured at
his briefcase
-- that he
would further
read and "send
to [his]
authorities."
He said this
is not being
"taken
lightly."
As Ambassador
Rice left at
12:49 pm,
telling the
press she was
briefing
colleagues and
given them the
facts, she
turns back
quizzically at
the word
"synopsis."
One wag mused,
maybe it's
that fine
Colombian...
diction.
Hillary
Clinton &
Churkin,
"bizarre"
incident and
briefing not
shown
The
Security
Council's big
topic on
Wednesday,
with forty or
more speakers,
is
Security
Sector Reform.
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon was
listed
as the first
speaker, but
since he is
still on one
trip to
Europe,
before
beginning
another at
week's end,
new UN
Peacekeeping
chief
Herve Ladsous
was set to
fill in for
Ban Ki-moon.
The UN
delisted
Ladsous' long
promised press
availability
at Wednesday's
noon
briefing.
Here
is the text
of Iran's
letter to Ban
Ki-moon and
the presidents
of the Council
and
General
Assembly:
In
the
name of God,
the
Compassionate,
the Merciful
No.
1110
11 October
2011
Excellency,
I
am writing to
you to express
our outrage
regarding the
allegations
leveled by the
United States
officials
against the
Islamic
Republic
of Iran on the
involvement of
my country in
an
assassination
plot
targeting a
foreign
diplomat in
Washington .
The
Islamic
Republic of
Iran strongly
and
categorically
rejects these
fabricated and
baseless
allegations,
based on the
suspicious
claims
by an
individual.
Any country
could accuse
other
countries
through
fabrication of
such stories.
However, this
would set
dangerous
precedents in
the relations
among States.
Iran
has
always
condemned
terrorism in
all its forms
and
manifestations.
Iran has been
a victim of
terrorism, a
clear recent
example of
which
is the
assassination
of a number of
Iranian
nuclear
scientists in
the
past two years
carried out by
the Zionist
regime and
supported by
the
United States
.
The
Iranian
nation seeks a
world free
from terrorism
and considers
the
current US
warmongering
and propaganda
machine
against Iran
as a
threat not
just against
itself but to
the peace and
stability in
the
Persian Gulf
region. The
Islamic
Republic of
Iran warns
against the
implications
of this
horrible
scenario and
submits that
the
continuation
of such
divide-and-rule
policies could
have
detrimental
effects on
peace and
security.
The
US
allegation is,
obviously, a
politically-motivated
move and a
showcase of
its
long-standing
animosity
towards the
Iranian
nation.
The Islamic
Republic of
Iran
categorically
and in the
strongest
terms
condemns this
shameful
allegation by
the United
States
authorities
and deplores
it as a
well-thought
evil plot in
line with
their
anti-Iranian
policy to
divert
attention from
the current
economic and
social
problems at
home and the
popular
revolutions
and protests
against United
States long
supported
dictatorial
regimes
abroad.
The
Islamic
Republic of
Iran
underlines its
determination
to maintain
its
friendly
relations with
all regional
countries,
particularly
with its
Muslim
neighbors, and
invites all to
be vigilant
against the
vicious
campaigns
targeting
stability and
peace and
friendly
relations
among
States in our
region.
As
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations you
have an
important
responsibility
in
enlightening
the
international
public opinion
about
the dangerous
consequences
of
warmongering
policies of
the United
States
Government on
international
peace and
security.
I
am sending
identical
letters to the
President of
the Security
Council
and the
President of
the General
Assembly. It
would be
appreciated if
this letter
could be
circulated as
a document of
the General
Assembly
under the
agenda item 83
and of the
Security
Council.
Please
accept,
Excellency,
the assurance
of my highest
consideration.
Mohammad
Khazaee
Ambassador
Permanent
Representative
Watch
this site.
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