The United Nations cannot be trusted even on procedural matters.
Miguel d'Escoto Brockman, former foreign minister of Nicaragua and "liberation theology" Roman Catholic priest, is now the president of the U.N. General Assembly. He has attached to himself a special panel of "senior advisers," among whom are Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark and Richard A. Falk, the latter being an enthusiast of the theory that America was behind the 9/11 atrocity at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Falk, whose dottiness proves that even the Milbank Professor of International Law at Princeton can be stupid, also has a special appointment at the U.N. Human Rights Council. Guess what is his portfolio. Yes, you got it. Israel and the Palestinians. Israel is guilty of 99 war crimes. Why not a hundred? one asks. Well, maybe Falk didn't want to overreach. In the meantime, the Palestinians are the most victimized people on earth. Not the Darfurians or the people of Zimbabwe or, for that matter, the moderate folk in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Wednesday was the 60th anniversary of the proclamation by the U.N. of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Commemorative speeches were to be given in the name of various regional groupings in the General Assembly. Israel happened to be the rotating chairman of the representation called "Western European and other." As such, its ambassador to the U.N., Gabriella Shalev, was designated to give the address.
Uh, uh. Brockmann said no. Not the lady from that state. Europe dug in its heels. I hope that Susan Rice is ready for these shenanigans.