At
UN
on
Korea,
8 Hours Result in No Statement, Calls for Ban Envoy, ROK
Exercise
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
19
-- After eight
hours
of Korea meetings, the UN
Security Council was unable to agree to any press statement. Council
President Susan Rice said that while “most members” agreed to
condemn North Korea for the November 23 island shelling, “consensus
was not possible.” This was China, according to numerous Western
diplomats.
Russia's
Vitaly
Churkin
against
blamed the Council Presidency for denying his request
for as Saturday rather than Sunday meeting, saying that would have
given more time to reach an agreed statement before the military
exercises South Korea has scheduled for Monday.
Inner
City
Press
asked
Ambassador Rice to respond to Churkin's statement about the
denied meeting. She answered that several important Council members
had asked for more time. In a seemingly contradictory answer, she
said that since nothing had been agreed to since November 23, an
extra day would not have made a difference. But why then was “more
time” before a Saturday meeting needed?
Both
Vitaly
Churkin
and
Susan Rice said that all 15 members want Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon to name an envoy to the Korean peninsula. Inner
City Press asked Churkin if Ban should wait for a Council statement
before doing so, and Churkin said no. One wonders why Ban hasn't
already named an envoy.
Susan Rice and UN's Ban, Korea envoy not yet shown
Ban
Ki-moon did not
come to the Security Council on Sunday. His senior adviser Kim
Won-soo and DPA chief Lynn Pascoe both did, but neither spoke to the
press. The military exercise might start within hours. We'll see.
Footnote:
The
Security
Council
has a full program on Monday, including naming
chairs of committees (Inner City Press reported on Friday about the
Portugal versus Bosnia fight for the Working Methods committee) and
Cote d'Ivoire, where sources tell Inner City Press Ouattara has
written to the Council contradicting Laurent Gbagbo's requests for
the UN to leave. What a month -- and it's not over. Watch this site.
* * *
At
UN
on
Korea,
China Wants Name of Shelled Island Out of
Statement
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
19
-- As the Korea
meeting of the UN Security
Council went into its sixth hour, the action moved into the Council
Chamber, albeit still behind closed doors. While Western diplomats
claimed that Russia is now being “flexible,” they pilloried China
for opposing even the inclusion in the draft press statement of the
name of the island that North Korea shelled.
The
West on the
other hand insists that a press statement must “condemn” North
Korea. China opposed this after the November shelling, and seems to
oppose it still. Three times during the afternoon the Council was
said to be waiting from word back from Beijing.
Non
Council
members are not allowed in the consultation room, which explains the
move to the Chamber for what's called a “private meeting.” One
assumes that South Korea must want to say something -- why change
rooms just to have them present, when the US and Japan can clearly
tell the South Koreans what is said?
UN's Ban and Hu Jintao, action on Korean shootout not shown
Outside
the
Security
Council,
reporters have eaten pizza and watched the
Philadelphia Eagles shock the New York Giants in the first of two NFL
football games. Now snow is falling in Pittburgh where the NY Jets
are playing the Steelers. Will this Council Korea standoff end before
this game? Before the NFL season
is over? Watch this site.
Update
of
5:59
pm
-- a Western diplomat emerges and emphasizes that the
Chamber meeting will have a record - but it's not public. US may
release its statement, & Susan Rice may speak to press.
Press corp disenchanted, some grumble its all play acting, or trying
to show China it is isolated on this one. But not clear if that's
true, and if China cares.
