Obama’s First Foreign Policy Test- Durban II
by Jerry Gordon, The Iconoclast
Former US UN Amb. John Bolton
Former US UN Ambassador John Bolton considers the upcoming Durban II conference in April 2009 at the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Geneva the first test of the Obama Administration foreign policy. This is a matter that Secretary of State designee, Sen. Hillary Clinton will have on her desk soon after Senate Confirmation. Bolton noted that Israel and Canada have rejected attending Durban II and that European countries were deliberating as to whether they should attend. This is because of the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic diatribes from UN General Assembly President Brockman of Nicaragua and the 57 nation Organization of the Islamic Conference.
As reported by the Jerusalem Post today, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told Dutch radio he “will not be involved in anti-Semitism” at the April meeting in Geneva.
“It seems like the sole intention is to criticize Israel and condemn the West for slavery and its colonial history”, he said.
In another dramatic move, newly appointed Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Affairs at the UNCHR, Princeton University Emeritus Professor Richard Falk was detained at BenGurionAirport and ejected from the country following his remarks last week accusing Israel of ‘war crimes.’ (Continue Reading this Article)
Posted by Jerry Gordon @ 9:50 am |
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I would not put too much into it even if Obama decides to boycott Durban. They could be doing this for propaganda purposes to immunize themselves from criticism when they screw Israel.
I remember when the Reagan administration (It may have been the first Bush administration, my memory is not that good) denied Arafat a Visa so he could speak at the UN. When the UN session was moved to Europe, the US recognized the PLO.
Look for something similar if Obama does boycott Durban.
Comment by i_am_me — December 17, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Take Ambassador Bolton, a man with huge cahones, would prefer that the UN would just disappear. A lot of international problems would too.
Comment by Ed D — December 17, 2008 @ 5:53 pm