More United Nations comedy.. Iraq to chair UN disarmament talks!

[GRUNHERZ]

First Syria replaces the USA on the human rights commision.

Then Libya is given the UN human rights chair.

And now!! Iraq, as in Saddam Hussein's UN representatives,  gets to lead the disarmament talks!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/01/28/sprj.irq.disarmament.conference/index.html

What is the UN thinking?  Perhaps China and India will soon co-chair the child labor talks.  Will Saudi Arabia lead the new round of womesn rights talks?

Madness!!

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
What is the UN thinking?  Perhaps China and India will soon co-chair the child labor talks.  Will Saudi Arabia lead the new round of womesn rights talks?

Did you read the part of the article that selection of the chair was by "purely automatic rotation by alphabetical order."

In other words, it's an ironic twist of chance and nothing more.  Don't confuse randomness with madness.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[NUKE]

It's Ironic how irrelevent the UN is.

the UN is and always will be a a big joke.

[GRUNHERZ]

Yes I did, and that blind randomness is clearly madness considering what the talks are about.

[Animal]

So they should cancel and break customs just because you dont like Iraq and its people?

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
Yes I did, and that blind randomness is clearly madness considering what the talks are about.

It's ironic, but it's not madness.  Rules bind and structure an organization like the United Nations, and it's not up to us or anyone else to willy nilly break those rules because of ironic twists of fate.  To do so would undermine the UN's legitimacy far more than having Iraq randomly placed as chair of an important disarmament forum.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[GRUNHERZ]

What UN legitimacy?  

Animal why do you think I have anything against the Iraqi people? In fact I think its one greatest shames of the past few decades how the world has in effect lost the well educted, cultured and overall quite  politically moderate people of both Iraq and Iran due to the lunacy of their leaders past and present. So plese dont assume such things Animal.

Anyhow this is still madness and a grand farce for the UN to have their all important disarmament talks lead by of all people Hussein's pack of UN liers...

Irony? Madness? Comedy? Who cares really, thats just a matter of degree. Whats clear is the utter stupidity of allowing representatives of the current Iraqi government to run in any way or have any influence in any sort of disarmament talks...

[bounder]

The UN Legitimacy is derived from the acceptance of the Signatory Bodies of the Articles of the UN Charter.

The USA has signed up to the charter which means that the USA recognizes the UN as a legitimate international body and endorses the aims and objs set out in its charter.

You may not recognise the UN as having legitimacy, but you are not a signatory to it.

And Iraq has the chair for how long do you think? Long enough to wreak havoc?

[StSanta]

Precisely Bounder.

I think Americans in general are about one of the few countries where the UN is seen with such disgust.

In DK, serving as a peace keeper is considered an honourable quest and there's some prestige associated with it.

Before Grunherz says "I meant the upper echelons, not the soldiers" - look at the statement. It included the whole of the UN.

I dunno. I get pissed when people disrespect others who've risked their lives to make things better (and some even lost it).

The Blue Helmets are pals of mine.

[Monk]

Originally posted by StSanta
Precisely Bounder.



I dunno. I get pissed when people disrespect others who've risked their lives to make things better (and some even lost it).

 

Served once as a "Peacekeeper".............then they blew us up.
....ahh well, no biggy.

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
What UN legitimacy?

[/B]

I'm not talking about their legitimacy as an international peacekeeper or law enforcer.  I'm talking about their very legitimacy as a coherent organization bound by rules that structure how things function.  The Congress ceases to be the Congress if it throws out constitutional or statutory rules governing how it handles itself.  By the same token, if the rules dictate that forum heads be drawn randomly, then regardless of how ironic or "mad" it is, we must accept the outcome as consistent with the rules.  To do otherwise undermines the entire purpose of having those rules in the first place and leads to long term organizational chaos where members conveniently ignore or supercede those rules of conduct that they find disagreeable.

Irony? Madness? Comedy? Who cares really, thats just a matter of degree. Whats clear is the utter stupidity of allowing representatives of the current Iraqi government to run in any way or have any influence in any sort of disarmament talks...

Ironic and comedic and, alas, perfectly legitimate given the United Nations rules for selecting committee chairs.

-- Todd/Leviathn

[Gunthr]

I don't have any problem with it, as long as Sec of State Powell gets to talk.

Iraq, in that position, cannot prevent the issues at hand from being discussed. Because it is an automatic assignment, it is no feather in Iraq'a cap, or an award for being a good world citizen - its just their turn. Let them have their turn.

And there is always the chance that if you give them enough rope to play with, they will hang themselves with some stupid stunt.

[GRUNHERZ]

Of course the UN should follow their rules faithfully, I'm just pointing out their rule gave us this madness concering the current situation.

StSanta I am pissed at the UN precisely because the Dutch UN were not willing to risk to risk their lives to guard 8,000 civilans in a UN mandated official safe area - the 8,000 were killed as the Dutch UN just stood by.

That incident does not bode well at all for UN legitimacy. Neither
does their record in Somalia and during recent African genocides.

[DrDea/Kvorkian]

No the UN has really turned into more of the gossip fence. Talk talk talk.Any country under investigation for weapons violations running on 12 years,should be gone over on that list.This should be a serious no brainer.Problem is theres to many countries that want to ride the fence.France,Germany,China.The only 2 countries willing to lay lives on the line to stop this are Brit and American.  Yes were the big boys on the block.Yes we stick our noses in where its not wanted.But NO I dont want to see where this mess ends up if we dont just do it.12 years this guy has scoffed at the UN and people say give it time?Im afraid time is up.I hope they have serious proof on this weapons deal,cause it will shut these people up finally

[Dead Man Flying]

Originally posted by GRUNHERZ
Of course the UN should follow their rules faithfully, I'm just pointing out their rule gave us this madness concering the current situation.

Then we are pretty much in agreement.  

And while it's true that good rules have yielded bad results, I can't imagine a more fair method for selecting committee chairs than total random chance.  This was just one of those cases where the timing of the random event was utterly ironic.  Had it happened four years ago, few people would have noticed or cared.

-- Todd/Leviathn