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As Japan Claims UN Council President Agreement, N. Korea Scoffs At Technicalities

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, April 9, updated -- Japan's deputy foreign minister Shintaro Ito on Thursday claimed there was "agreement" by the President of the UN Security Council, Claude Heller, that North Korea's rocket launch this week violated Council resolutions 1718 and 1695.  Since Presidents of the Security Council are not supposed to express their views on matters over which they will preside, Inner City Press asked Minister Ito if he was sure that Heller agreed. Heller didn't say no, Minister Ito clarified. Annals of diplomacy.

  Meanwhile, after UN spokesperson Michele Montas on Thursday answered Inner City Press' question of the previous day, whether North Korea had made any filings under the Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space. No, Ms. Montas said, no filings by North Korea.

  Inner City Press asked Minister Ito if he thought North Korea violated the Registration Convention, or for example the Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Ito answered only that because what North Korea launched was a ballistic missile (or used "ballistic missile technology"), it was a violation of the two Council resolutions. He refused a follow-up, turning to the Japanese press.


Japan's Ito in Council in 2006, plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

Footnotes: Japanese press followed North Korea's deputy ambassador Pak Tok Hun across First Avenue at 3 p.m. on Thursday, filming his every move. Unlike Ambassadors who travel with body guards, Pak Tok Hun walked entirely alone, and alit in the Delegates' Lounge. Reportedly asked how one could hear the broadcasts from the satellite they claim is now in orbit, Pak Tok Hun said that was too technical. Perhaps filing under the Convention on the Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space was also too technical.

Update: following a Thursday night meeting of the Permanent Five members and Japan, the Ambassadors emerged no closed to agreement that before. The gave one line comments -- the U.S., China and Jaan -- and the other three left quickly without saying a word. Have a good weekend, someone said. The UN will technically be closed on Good Friday, but Inner City Press will be on the case. Watch this site.

  Click here for a new YouTube video, mostly UN Headquarters footage, about civilian deaths in Sri Lanka.

Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate

Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards

and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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