Churkin
Is Dead, Jibed Power As Mother
Theresa, Asked of
Earpieces, Defended Sovereignty
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
February 20 – Vitaly Churkin,
long time Russian Ambassador
to the UN, died on Monday
while working, the day before
his 65th birthday.
Churkin's
advocacy in the UN Security
Council ranged from deriding
US Ambassador Samantha Power
as a Mother Theresa wannabe,
back to asking if then US
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad's
earpiece was working, during a
late night Council meeting
about Abhazia, South Ossetia
and Georgia.
Here's
video of Churkin on
December 30, 2016, Inner City
Press asking him about Syria
and Libya.
On Africa,
for example, Churkin told
Inner City Press that there
shouldn't be a vote on Eritrea
sanctions until that country's
president was allowed to
address the Security Council.
Churkin spoke at length with
Inner City Press, recounting
that "we had some people working on the
sanctions resolution, on and off... All of
the sudden last night we were told the
sponsors were moving the resolution in
blue, voting... today."
As Inner
City Press exclusively
reported [then] US
Ambassador Susan Rice said the vote
should take place Wednesday since Gabon,
Nigeria and the regional IGAD group want
the sanctions.
Churkin
disagreed, saying "there is a 48 hour
rule.. but at least 24 hours" between
putting a text into blue and voting on it.
He also noted that "more than a month ago,
the president of Eritrea asked to address
the Security Council. We believe it is his
right under the UN Charter."
Churkin said
Afwerki's request was "consulted on by
President of the Council. One delegation
was objecting. We did not precipitate this
issue, we were not sure, if they were not
in a hurry on the resolution... But under
those circumstances, we think it would
just be wrong to act today on this
resolution. We should finalize experts
that were interrupted and give a chance to
the President of Eritrea to come to New
York."
Churkin said
that Afwerki sent "another letter today
that he wants to come and speak before the
vote." About the draft, Churkin said, "we
have two or three concerns, some other
have more, some African countries."
On
the other hand, on February 20
after Churkin's death, a diplomat
told Inner City Press of Churkin being nice, in Security Council
closed door consultations,
with Susan Rice and her
child, during hair
braiding.
Here is
Periscope video of Churkin
speaking, about Syria, on
the steps outside the UN Security
Council earlier this year.
That was Churkin, rest in peace. Watch
this site.
***
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