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On Libya and Sudan, Obama Mission at UN Hits the BRICS

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 21 -- When the African members of the UN Security Council proposed a Presidential Statement on Libya the day before last week's closed door meeting with the African Union, the US Mission to the UN led by Susan Rice said it had been proposed too late to be issued on June 15.

Then on June 17, sources tell Inner City Press, the US Mission proposed a series of amendments to the African draft, essentially killing it. While the purpose of the African draft was to reiterate the contents of the Council's Resolution 1973, the US has proposed for example a paragraph that

The Members of the Security Council urged Member States to recognize the Transitional National Council as the legitimate interlocutor for the Libyan people.”

On June 21, Inner City Press asked the Deputy Permanent Representative of one of the seven countries fully supporting the African Libya PRST about the draft and this paragraph. The DPR, after a shake of the head, said: “They should stick to what was said in the room... We try to.”

  Inner City Press has sought US Mission comment on this, and on their scheduling at 3 pm on Tuesday of a political coordinators meeting on the US draft Sudan PRST, after the same coordinators had been summoned to a 3:30 consultation on the Libya text.

  No response was received before the US-called meeting on Sudan, including on the purpose of the Sudan PRST, and when a resolution for the proposed Ethiopian troops for Abyei might be forthcoming.

  Nor was an answer given when Ambassador Susan Rice and her two spokesmen walked into the General Assembly at 3:15 pm for Ban Ki-moon's second term vote. Then, Rice was observed chatting with her Russian counterpart. These are the consultations which count.

Footnote: Inner City Press learned that while the US had called for the 3 pm consultations on Sudan at the political coordinator, the US did not send its political coordinator but rather an assitant. “Typical,” one delegation said. But has the US killed the draft Libya statement? We'll see.

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At UN on Libya, African Council Members Want Statement on Compliance With Resolution 1973, US Said to Oppose

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, June 14 -- When African Union ministers wanted to come engage with the UN Security Council about NATO's bombing of Libya, the United States wanted to keep the meeting behind closed doors, the UK even suggesting it merely be a lunch, sources told Inner City Press.

  Now in advance of the June 15 meeting, which will be a briefing and “interactive dialogue,” sources tell Inner City Press that the US is opposing an African proposed Presidential Statement, which would reiterate the importance of compliance with Council Resolution 1973.

  Below is a copy of the draft, obtained by Inner City Press, which among other things “reaffirms that resolution 1973 (2011) explicitly excludes a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.”

  The three African members of the Security Council -- South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon -- are proposing the Statement. The US is apparently saying they cannot decide on the draft in 24 hours. (Others note that recently on Sudan, US Ambassador Susan Rice put forward a draft Presidential Statement at 2 pm and asked for it to be adopted that day.)

  The timing excuse, some feel, is a ruse: the US is hoping that Gaddafi can be killed and taken from power before the Security Council issues any further statement on Libya.

  Before publication of this story, Inner City Press asked US Mission to the UN in writing to answer three questions, including this one. While the Mission's spokesman provide an interim answer to one of the three questions, there was not answer to the request for denial or confirmation and comment on the US "opposing on Libya a proposed statement reiterating compliance with Resolution 1973, and why."

  Inner City Press spoke to an anti-Gaddafi member of Libya's Mission to the UN, who confirmed the African proposed statement and that the US will not accept it. He said, “the freedom fighters are now within 40 kilometers of Tripoli.”

  Neither Libyan side, he predicted, will speak in the interactive segment of the June 15 meeting. “We don't have credentials,” he said. Previously, the UN let Ambassadors Shalgam and Dabbashi speak, but no more. Nor does Gaddafi have a representative at the UN, after Nicaraguan former president of the General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann was blocked, with Susan Rice saying his tourist visa would be revoked if he tried to speak for Gaddafi.

Footnote: No other than Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam has moved to hold a press conference at the UN. As it happens, it will not be inside the UN but rather across the street. Watch this site.

Here is the African-proposed Draft Presidential Statement on Libya

At the _____th meeting of the Security Council, held on 15 June 2011, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “the situation in Libya”, and having received a briefing from a ministerial delegation of the African Union High-Level Ad-hoc Committee on Libya, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

The Security Council expresses its deep concern over the continuation of violence in Libya, and reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011) in letter and spirit to ensure protection of civilians in Libya. The Security Council reaffirms that resolution 1973 (2011) explicitly excludes a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.

The Security Council demands a complete end to violence and all attacks against and abuses of civilians, perpetrated by all parties and the establishment of an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. They stressed the need for such a ceasefire to be credible and verifiable, and encouraged the African Union and the United Nations, as well as other stakeholders, to spare no efforts in achieving this objective. The Security Council further demands a speedy solution to the crisis which responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people and tackles the underlying causes of the current crisis.

The Security Council stresses the need for a political solution to the conflict in Libya. In this respect, and recalling the provisions of paragraph 2 of UN Security Council resolution 1973(2011), they welcome the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya, Mr. Abdel-Elah Mohamed Al-Khatib, and those of the AU High-Level ad hoc Committee on Libya in the context of the AU Roadmap. The Security Council agreed on the need for close coordination of all efforts in support of the UN and in accordance with paragraph 2 of Security Council resolution 1973(2011) to find a solution to the crisis. The Security Council welcomes the joint effort being undertaken by the UN, AU, LAS, OIC and EU and looks forward to the outcome of their next meeting to be held in Cairo, Egypt on 18 June 2011.

The Security Council expresses its serious concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country, and calls for full compliance with human rights and International Humanitarian Law and the creation of the required conditions for the delivery of assistance to all needy populations across Libya, including by guaranteeing appropriate access to humanitarian organisations. The Security Council stresses the need to provide necessary support to the African migrant workers living in Libya, including those seeking to leave the country.

The Security Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

The Security Council will remain seized of this matter and will continue to meet to review the implementation of its resolutions on the situation in Libya.

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

 Click here for an Inner City Press YouTube channel 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 March 12 UN (and AIG bailout) debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Feb. 12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56

Click here for Inner City Press' Jan. 16, 2009 debate about Gaza

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

Click here for Inner City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger

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

Click here for Inner City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics

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

* * *

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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