Bolton Watch: "Public officials cannot be responsible for the opinions of the people who interview them. But they can be judicious with whom they choose to grant interviews. It is therefore a wonder why Ambassador John Bolton would grant an interview to Pamela Oshry, proprietor of the anti-Muslim hate website "Atlas Shrugs."

Glenn Greenwald: "U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, on Saturday, in the middle of the most pressing crisis the U.N. has faced since he was appointed to that position, decided to sit for an hour-long, one-on-one "interview" and chose as his journalistic interrogator . . . LGF commenter Pamela "Atlas" Oshry of the blog AtlasShrugs, whose views are so far outside of what is mainstream, in equal parts inane and despicable, that it would be impossible to describe fully."

Think Progress: "'Violence against women in Afghanistan is widespread and mainly happens inside victims' homes,' according to a report from the U.N. Development Fund for Women. 'Acts of violence (against women) are happening with impunity,' the report said."

Coalition for Darfur: "From WFP - WFP has urged the international community to help end the misery in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, where almost half a million people are now cut off from emergency food aid because of fighting and attacks."

Liberty and Justice: "It seems that Rice is becoming less of a hawk every single day or so. According to USA Today, Rice said that it's not up to the UN forces to disarm Hizbullah -- that must be done by the Lebanese government, so she says."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

FP Passport: "Afghan and U.N. officials fear that a persistent drought could soon add 2.4 million more people to the 6.5 million Afghans already suffering from hunger. And that development, in turn, could add to the ranks of the Taliban, magnifying the problems faced by the shaky government and the Western troops helping to hold it together."

Suzanne Nossel: "Getting Security Council agreement to bulk up UNIFIL, the existing UN operation in Lebanon, may be tough, but it will be easier than it would be to establish an entirely new operation and mandate."

Mahablog: "[President Bush] told Blair he felt like telling U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the gathered leaders, to get on the phone with Syrian President Bashar Assad to "make something happen." In other words, Bush is whining that Kofi Annan should do something. The righties ought to love that."

Security Watchtower: "On Saturday the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to impose weapons-related sanctions against North Korea in response to a series of recent missile launches by the reclusive communist nation. The consensus within the council was reached when Russia and China agreed to support a resolution that wasn't binding (chapter seven). The resolution calls on North Korea to suspend "all activities" related to its ballistic missile programs, and requires UN member nations to prevent import and export of missiles and materials related to weapons of mass destruction."

ODPI: "Reuters has this article, entitled "US defends rights record to United Nations panel," on today's first appearance by the US before a high-level UN human rights panel in eleven years."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

PSD Blog covers World Refugee Day: "UNHCR, Nike, Microsoft and Right to Play chose World Refugee Day to launch ninemillion.org, a campaign "to create a global community dedicated to giving the world's refugee youth the chance to learn and play." The elegantly designed website features personal refugee stories and a 30-second public service announcement from Brazilian soccer star, and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, Ronaldo. Nike has donated 40,000 soccer balls specially designed to endure harsh conditions at refugee camps."

Mcjoan at Daily Kos asks if Sen. Santorum trumped UN inspectors in Iraq.

Michelle Malkin repeats conservative canards about the United Nations Small Arms Review Conference.

Mojo has more on the UN, the NRA, and small arms: "the NRA tends, quite often, to stoke and inflame conservative fears that the UN really is plotting to erect some sinister world government or other that will take away all our guns."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Air America Radio notes renewed calls for Guantanamo's closure.

CJR Daily discusses the "Elephant in the Newsroom" known as Guantanamo: "A quick Lexis-Nexis search for "Guantanamo" proves just how inadequate newspapers have been to the task of telling this story. Nearly every article that appears is a breaking news story about a new hunger strike, a court battle over forced feeding, or an organization like the UN voicing concern about the detainees."

Coalition for Darfur links to an AP piece describing "thousands of civilian deaths" documented in Darfur.

Joshua Landis writes: "The new UN investigation into Rafiq Al Hariri's murder is expected to indict Syrian leaders."

Paper Chase says that "UN rights experts call on Egypt to preserve independent judiciary."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Armchair Generalist writes, "The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) has released a historical summary on Iraq's chemical weapons program that documents its start in 1971 and follows the work conducted through the 1980s and 1990s.

At the Washington Note, Jeremy Kahn posts an interesting entry about "non-verbal politics".

Treehugger covers the UN's World Environment Day: "This year they chose to highlight something we don't hear about often enough: Natural deserts and drylands also need to be protected. These areas that most people consider to be almost "dead" are in fact vital ecosystems."

Michelle Malkin posts another anti-UN diatribe with a headline that tells you everything about her level of discourse: "Hey, U.N.: Boo-Freaking-Hoo."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Tony Ferguson previews World Environment Day.

Steve Clemons suggests that "Iran will continue to try and split the five UN Security Council members."

Abhi at Sepia Mutiny blogs about AIDS in India.

Derek Chollet discusses Tony Blair's "far-reaching" ideas for UN Reform.

Captain's Quarters, a leading conservative blog, uses a standard anti-UN tactic: make gross generalizations about UN peacekeepers from a few bad examples. Captain Ed might want to take a look at this RAND study (pdf) which suggests the UN is better suited for peacekeeping missions than the U.S., finding it not only more efficient but also more effective.

Instapundit links to a Max Boot piece rebutted here by UN Dispatch's new featured blogger, Mark Goldberg.

Spork in the Drawer has more on Boot: "Boot conveniently fails to note that mercenaries don't fall under any laws or rules." (Hat tip: Busy, Busy, Busy)

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Coalition for Darfur on Darfur's "fleeting moment"

Daily Kos's Navy Vet Terp on John Bolton at the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs

Paper Chase on the UN Committee Against Torture report

Peter Levine on political participation and economic success

PSD Blog on UNSG Kofi Annan and the announcement of the launch of new UN Principles of Responsible Investment

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Coalition for Darfur on Darfur's children

Daily Kos's Hunter on Iran and US isolationism

Treehugger on the "Little Green Data Book 2006"

The Washington Note: on The Quartet New York meeting

Wizbang on Ahmadinejad's letter to Bush

World Changing on public diplomacy in virtual worlds

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Democracy Arsenal's Suzanne Nossel on China and the UN

Bradford Plumer on the "water wars"

Coalition for Darfur on setting up UN forces in Darfur

Mark Leon Goldberg on the new Human Rights Council

News Hounds on Fox News' UN coverage

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Americablog: "Sudan peace deal closer, but not quite there - All parties have agreed to the peace deal except for the rebels who are pressing for more time. What is especially significant here and what should be recognized as an extremely positive move is that the African Union has been the key player during these negotiations. For too many years, the AU stood by and did nothing while Africa drifted into chaos and genocide. It would be nice to see the AU take a stand against thugs like Mugabe but like they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. With oil money in play, pulling together a serious consensus in the UN is going to be difficult so the AU's role here is critical."

Austin Bay: Disbanding the Militias: Iraq's Next Tough Job - Iraq's successes noted, defanging sectarian and tribal militias is a very tough trick. UN peacekeepers in the eastern Congo understand that. Iraq the Model has the details. As the post notes, the militias argue they provide security where the government cannot."

Carpetbagger: "It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Iran continues to defy anyone and everyone with respect to its nuclear program. Only within the last month, Iran has announced, with much nationalist fanfare, that it has succeeded in enriching its own uranium (if only to 3.5 percent, well below the 80 percent necessary to build a bomb, but still) and that it may just share its nuclear technology with other would-be nuclear states (like the Sudan). The rhetoric has been ratcheted up on all sides, but most noticeably by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has referred to Israel, the most obvious target of a nuclear Iran (in speech, if not necessarily in deed), as "a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm". Well, Iran's defiance is currently being directed at the U.N..."

Counterterrorism Blog: "Just two open terrorism-related hearings in the U.S. Congress this week: The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing this Tuesday on the FBI. Topics are likely to include the extent of information sharing with other agencies (or lack thereof) and the status of troubled FBI computer systems. The U.S. House Government Reform Committee's national security subcommittee will review the viability of future U.N. sanctions in light of the Oil-for-Food scandal and proposed U.N. management reforms."

Democracy Arsenal (Suzanne Nossel): "After last Friday's report by the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Tehran has successfully enriched uranium and defied the UN Security Council's Friday deadline to halt the process, we find ourselves in a frightening stand-off with an uncontrollable Islamic demagogue bent getting nukes. I am not an expert on the region, but here's my take on some things the U.S. ought and ought not do..."

Informed Comment: "IAEA Finds no Proof of Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program - In its April 28 report, the International Atomic Energy Agency mentioned the UNSC mandate to Iran of last February... Despite not being fully in compliance with these demands, Iran maintains that it is in fact fulfilling its obligations under the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA found no smoking gun."

Jurist: "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour headed to Darfur Monday as she continued a five-day visit to Sudan to press the government to end the violence and address rights abuses in the region. UN spokesman Jose Diaz says reports indicate that the situation there has remained the same or even worsened in some cases since Arbour visited the troubled area a year and a half ago."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Sudan Watch: Just in from Reuters via Scotsman: the UN Security Council voted today to impose sanctions on four Sudanese accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict - excerpt of report by Evelyn Leopold: "The vote on a US-drafted resolution was 12 to 0 with three abstentions -- Russia, China and Qatar, the only Arab member of the 15-nation council. The sanctions, a travel ban and a freeze on assets abroad, were the first adopted against individuals involved in the Darfur war."

Austin Bay: "Salah Nasrawi reports for the Associated Press that bin Laden is urging jihadis to head for Sudan. Why? To prepare to wage holy war against...get ready... The United Nations. The AP's lede: Osama bin Laden issued ominous new threats in an audiotape broadcast Sunday, saying the West was at war with Islam and calling on his followers to go to Sudan to fight a proposed U.N. force."

Paper Chase: "Leading Monday's international brief, the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal [official website] warned the Nepal government [monarchy website] again that international standards governing police actions during times of civil unrest must be observed as part of Nepal's international legal obligations. The statement [text] warned that the use of live rounds and targeted rubber bullets violated the international standards governing police actions during times of civil unrest. The OHCHR also raised concerns about the treatment being received by female protestors at the hands of male police officers. Nepal is in its 19th day of pro-democracy protests. eKantipur.com has local coverage.

It's Getting Hot in Here: "Youth climate leaders from around the world will coverge on the Youth Energy Blast in New York on April 29, 2006 at Columbia University with the mission of sharing their skills and preparing for the 14th Session UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), themed this year around energy development & climate change. The purpose of the Youth Energy Blast is to empower our generation-wide movement to confront the energy crisis."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Opinio Juris: "The United Nations Security Council has unanimously passed Resolution 1664, which calls for Kofi Annan to begin negotiating with the Lebanese government to establish an international tribunal to try the individuals responsible for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others in May, 2005. Annan has suggested to the Security Council that the tribunal be modeled on the hybrid courts in Sierra Leone, East Timor, and Cambodia, although he recommends that the tribunal not be located in Lebanon because of "concerns of security, perceptions of objectivity." According to diplomatic sources, Cyprus is considering hosting the tribunal."

Daily Nightly (Linda Fasulo): Iran is on the minds of many in the UN Security Council this week. UN Diplomats are awaiting a report by IAEA Chief Mohamed Elbaradei due by the end of next week and engaging in private discussions and strategy sessions in New York and around the world. However, Iran is largely a major issue for next week's official UN agenda. This week, the Security Council has a busy formal agenda of closed-door consultations and open briefings on a range of issues. Meetings will cover other Middle East issues, such as violence between Israelis and Palestinians and the missing Kuwaiti prisoners of war from the 1991 Gulf War, African conflicts in Darfur and the Ivory Coast, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina."

Paper Chase: "Eight thousand pro-democracy protesters assembled in Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu Saturday in the largest demonstration against the rule of King Gyanendra [official profile; BBC profile] since the current round of protests began over a week ago. An alliance of seven opposition political parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal [party website], has been waging a general strike against Gyanendra's rule and protests continue despite Gyanendra's promise to hold general elections by April 2007. Gyanendra has made similar promises in the past and the opposition is demanding that he step down immediately. Also in Kathmandu Saturday, police used batons to attack a rally staged by about 200 local journalists, including members of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, as they gathered to protest government curbs on press freedom. Nepalese police reportedly wounded seven journalists and detained at least twice that many. Related news on Jurist: UN rights chief 'shocked' by force used against Nepal pro-democracy protesters."

Pam's House Blend: "UN report: Iraqi gays target of kidnappings, murders - "I don't want to be gay anymore. When I go out to buy bread, I'm afraid. When the doorbell rings, I think that they have come for me." -- Hussein, 32, gay Baghdad resident who fears being kidnapped or murdered as a result of a fatwa on gays issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Doug Ireland has been covering this horror story for some time (you can read his work here). Now that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has released a report on the atrocities and fear instilled in the community by death squads, maybe someone will take note."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Rikomatic: "The United Nations recently concluded an international conference on early warning in Bonn, Germany. Over 1,200 participants from 140 countries participated in the gathering, that concluded that a "people-centered" approach was needed to build effective early-warning systems to prevent the loss of human life from natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis and pandemics. As a preparation for the conference, a "Global Survey of Early Warning Systems" [PDF] was prepared by the UN, that details what capacity already exists for early warning, what the major gaps are."

Paper Chase: "UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday called on states to ratify the 1997 anti-personnel mine ban treaty and said that it should only take ten years to rid the world of all land mines will take ten years to complete, not 100 years as previously estimated. Annan's message was made to open the first International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, designed to promote action among UN member states to aid in the removal of land mines throughout the world. Land mines are estimated to claim up to 20,000 victims each year, and an unknown number of mines are buried in at least 60 countries, with Cambodia, Afghanistan and Columbia claiming the most victims in 2004."

Chris Allan: "The United Nations (UNESCO) has published a document on bioethics and controversially linking this to human rights. In particular it stresses the rights on individuals needs over societal needs. Most developing countries have no bioethical guidelines, so on one level this can be seen as a step in the right direction. It promotes the implementation of ethics committees and a more considered approach in this area."

Congowatch: "UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan held separate talks in New York March 31 with top African and European officials on Darfur, Sudan, and the DRC, UN News Centre reported 31 Mar 2006: "In a meeting with Mr Konare, Chair of the AU Commission, the two discussed the Abuja peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan's Darfur. They also discussed support for the AU force in Darfur, including the possibility of a donors' conference. On the DRC, they reviewed a number of issues, including how to ensure an inclusive electoral progress."

War in Context: "United Nations aid organizations are warning that the Gaza Strip is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster due to a lack of money and food. David Shearer, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told Foreign Ministry officials that if there is no significant change in the situation, Gaza will face a humanitarian crisis as bad as the one in Kosovo. A report by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warns of a lack of basic food supplies due to the frequent closures of the Karni crossing that are preventing goods from reaching Gaza from Egypt. The report also said there has been a significant increase in the number of hungry people since financial aid has been halted. [complete article]

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Democracy Arsenal (Suzanne Nossel): "In scenes straight out of a Hollywood action figure, last week former Liberian strongman Charles Taylor found himself in a dragnet when the Nigerian government, after years of protecting him, finally announced plans to turn the ex-dictator over to a UN special court to be tried for war crimes and atrocities committed in support of civil war in Sierra Leone. Within 24 hours Taylor had escaped, and rumor was that he might attempt a coup back in Liberia's capital. But the Nigerians nabbed him, and Taylor is now in UN custody in Freetown, Sierra Leone on his way to trial. If things go as planned from now on, Taylor's extradition could become a major step toward justice and accountability in Africa."

Informed Comment: "The UN oil for food program has continued to provide staples to most Iraqi families, but will be phased out by the end of 2006 as a "socialist" legacy. Despite the talk of staples "stabilizing," the price of foodstuffs has skyrocketed. Nor is a share for Iraqis in some of their oil wealth socialism. The Alaskans get a direct dividend from their petroleum, and the food aid was the closest thing the Iraqi public had to that. If the end of the program produces, as is likely, hardship and even hunger, there will be big urban disturbances. I lived through one such in Cairo in January of 1977. The gloaming was polluted with the bottles and stones thrown at government buildings by angry crowds chanting against the International Monetary Fund. That will be the final indignity, if the Americans actually manage to starve Iraqis to death with their policies."

Needlenose: "The UN Security Council -- led by the U.S. and its European allies -- adopted an unambiguous and strongly worded resolution taking Iran to task over its nuclear program. It is a rare, unanimous statement from the Council -- coupled with a clear threat of sanctions -- demanding that Iran immediately open its nuclear research facilities to IAEA inspections. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice summed it up: "Iran is more isolated now than ever," Rice said in a statement after the vote. "The Security Council's Presidential Statement sends an unmistakable message to Iran that its efforts to conceal its nuclear program and evade its international obligations are unacceptable."

ReidBlog: "Even as the war in Iraq has continued to go south, the chatter about the U.S. and Britain possibly opening up a second front with Iran have never really gone away. Today, the Telegraph digs in a little deeper (HT to AllahPundit in his last day as the substitute Malkin)... Says the Telegraph: "The Government is to hold secret talks with defence chiefs tomorrow to discuss possible military strikes against Iran. A high-level meeting will take place in the Ministry of Defence at which senior defence chiefs and government officials will consider the consequences of an attack on Iran. It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is "inevitable" if Teheran's leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium enrichment programme."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Paper Chase: "UN Legal Counsel Nicolas Michel said Thursday that the UN is ready to begin final negotiations on the establishment of an international tribunal to try suspects in the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Michel said that a mixed tribunal with both Lebanese and international support, similar to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, would produce the best outcome. He said that it is unlikely that the tribunal will be established inside Lebanon and that factors such as impartiality and safety of witnesses and judges will determine its location. Michel's comments follow a recommendation of a mixed tribunal from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier this week."

Political Animal: "Knight Ridder quotes three anonymous officials about Iran's nuclear program: "Based on the IAEA data, U.S. experts have concluded that "Iran could be as little as two to three years away from having nuclear weapons, with all the necessary caveats and assumptions and extrapolations about them overcoming technical hurdles," said one U.S. official. "Admittedly, those are significant assumptions."

TPM Cafe (Scott T. Paul): "Bolton Lobbying Against U.S. Membership on Human Rights Council - Bolton believes that if the U.S. declares its candidacy for membership, it will be seen as an endorsement of the Council that he has so emphatically denounced. The Council would benefit from U.S. membership. It would be more credible and more effective with the U.S. on board. That being said, it might (and I emphasize, might) be better to heed Bolton's advice on this one - not for his articulated reason, but because there is no assurance that the U.S. would be voted on. Abuse in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, U.S. foreign policy, and Bolton's heavy-handed diplomacy have left the U.S. more isolated in the UN than perhaps ever before."

Washington Note: "Last Thursday morning, I sent a couple of questions to the "Ask the State Department" site that was planning an online session with John Bolton. I sent two questions, clearly identified myself, received confirmations from the State Department that my queries of Ambassador Bolton were received. If you read the transcript of carefully crafted blandness in Bolton's responses during his on-line forum, there is no reference to the questions I posted early. That's OK. They can't answer everyone -- and I felt that I was just accidentally ignored -- UNTIL I got this email..."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Science Blog: "A far wider range of species, some of them rare and endangered, may be affected by highly virulent avian flu than has previously been supposed, ranging from big cats like leopards and tigers to other mammals like martens, weasels and badgers to 80 per cent of all bird species, the United Nations environmental agency warned today."

Paper Chase: "The UN Commission on Human Rights was formally abolished Wednesday by a resolution of the UN Economic and Social Council adopted without a formal vote. The resolution calls for the completion of the commission's currently-suspended sixty-second session and the final shutdown of the organization on June 16, when it will be replaced by the new UN Human Rights Council created last week by a General Assembly resolution that passed 170-4 over objections from the United States, Israel, the Marshall island and Palau. The first meeting of the Council is scheduled for June 19 in Geneva. The Commission, created in 1946, had been highly sharply criticized for allowing countries with continued human rights violations to win seats and protect each other from inquiries. Elections for the smaller, somewhat more stringent Council will be held May 9. Reuters has more."

Sookie Tex: "World Water Day, March 22, 2005, marks the start of the Water for Life Decade, 2005--2015, a new United Nations International Decade for Action. The decade-long effort will improve the chances of achieving international water-related goals, including that of the United Nations Millennium Declaration: by 2015, to reduce by 50% the proportion of persons without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. An estimated 1.1 billion persons lack access to an improved water source, and 2.6 billion persons lack access to adequate sanitation."

World Changing: "The idea that open source is political underlies many of the posts here on WorldChanging that talk about Linux and its brethren. Alex's 2003 "Redistributing the Future" sums up this concept well, but we frequently build on the argument that the real value of Linux, and the free/libre/open source model in general, is that it enables previously technologically-dependent communities to build the tools that they need with their own skills, and become a global participant as a producer of ideas, not simply a consumer. We're not alone in this belief; the United Nations University's International Institute for Software Technology has fully embraced the idea of open source as a developmental driver. They think of it as "technological self-determination," and they've come up with forward-looking programs to help this come about."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Agonist: "Security Council Fails To Reach Accord on Iran - WaPo - The Security Council's five permanent members and Germany failed to reach agreement at a meeting Monday on how to respond to the Iranian nuclear crisis but said they would forge ahead in the coming days to break the impasse. The deadlock comes as U.S. and European officials confirmed that Britain had presented the United States with a paper outlining a possible diplomatic strategy to resolve the crisis, including new talks and concessions. But the British representative at Monday's talks, John Sawers, said Britain had not made such a proposal at the meeting."

Tapped (Mark Leon Goldberg): "Finally, there's some good news out of Western Africa: The newly elected president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, formally requested that the government of Nigeria extradite former Liberian strongman Charles Taylor to the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Huffington Post (Steve Clemons): "Anne-Marie Slaughter sums up the state of affairs regarding America's stance towards the new Human Rights Council beautifully. Slaughter, the dean of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton, outlines that although America voted "no" on the Council, word from the U.N. has it that Secretary Rice pushed hard to soften Bolton's stated opposition to the Council... Far more important, though, was the announcement later in the day that the U.S. would in fact help to fund the Council and would pledge support for making it "as strong and effective as it can be."

Stygius: "Via Steve Clemons at Bolton Watch, the Christian Science Monitor barely conceals exasperation: "As the United Nations Security Council wrestles with how to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, discussion at UN headquarters is at times as much about the council's effectiveness and America's role in the international community as it is about Iran." Sound vaguely familiar? Unfortunately, we have a UN Ambassador who is willing to sabotage the overall process and thwart results -- and maybe get a lot of people killed -- in order to acquire vindication for an assumption."

Uganda - CAN: "Dennis McNamara, the U.N. special adviser on internal displacement, has warned of a "human rights crisis" in northern Uganda where "the rule of law does not apply." McNamara just spent a week touring the conflict-affected regions of the north and meeting with senior government officials and UN agencies working in the region. "They [internally displaced people] live in unacceptable conditions, are not getting adequate basic services and are unprotected," said McNamara, speaking to reporters. Jan Egeland, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator will visit Uganda at the end of March to discuss the U.N. proposal that all aspects of the war, not just the humanitarian aspect, be more systematically addressed."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Informed Comment: "Kofi Annan says that two things are keeping back an expansion of UN activities in Iraq: no nation will transport UN workers inside Iraq by plane, and the general violence that plagues the country."

Mahablog: "Iran Update - Bronwen Maddox of the London Times provides an update on the Iran nuclear situation: "EVERYTHING is set for the row over Iran's nuclear work to land before the UN Security Council in New York. The council is preparing to take up the baton next week. Yet until this week's acrimonious and muddled meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna finally ends, there is a hovering uncertainty that this will happen." Iran, in its inimitable vocabulary, warned the US that it, too, could cause "harm and pain", and threatened to disrupt oil markets. It attacked US "warmongers", saying: "Surely we are not naive about the US's intention to flex muscles. But we also see the bone fractures underneath." Ms. Maddox writes that the Security Council will be reluctant to impose sanctions. Nobody expects anything to happen soon."

MoJo Blog (Bradford Plumer): "Eric Reeves, who's followed the Darfur conflict closer than just about anyone else on the planet, notes today that it's not just Europe that deserves the blame here. The United States isn't exactly leading on the issue, either. And while both the EU and the U.S. are pushing for UN involvement, that won't be enough - ultimately, NATO needs to get involved."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Democracy Arsenal: Guest Blogger: Jon B. Wolfsthal, Nonproliferation Fellow -- International Security Program, CSIS: "For three years the United States has been trying to bring Iran's violations of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons to the UN Security Council. The International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors reported Iran's behavior to the UN in early February and gave Iran one month to clear up lingering concerns about its program, after having previously found Iran in violation of its inspection obligations. Nobel Laureate and IAEA Director General reported to the IAEA Board last week that Iran is still obstructing inspection requests by the Agency, and advancing its uranium enrichment program and despite last minute diplomatic efforts by the EU and Russia, the matter is now headed directly for New York and the UN Security Council."

RCP Blog: "In widely reported remarks this weeked at the AIPAC conference U.S. Ambassador John Bolton warned of "tangible and painful consequences" for Iran if tit doesn't acquiesce to international demands. Today The Guardian reports that Bolton offered an even more frank assessment of the situation with Iran to a delegation of British MPs visiting Washington last week."

Agonist: "Iran, the IAEA and the UN Thread: Iran's Khatami Says Islam Is the Enemy West Needs - WaPo - "Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, whose foreign policy was defined by a quest for what he called a "dialogue between civilizations," warned Saturday that tensions between the Islamic world and the West are taking the shape of a new Cold War." Iran Maintains Defiant Stance as Atomic Agency Takes Case - NYT - Iran on Sunday reiterated its warning that it would begin making nuclear fuel on an industrial scale if the United Nations nuclear agency decided to send its case to the Security Council in its meeting on Monday."

Democracy Arsenal (Suzanne Nossel): "[D]espite the intensive focus on the Iranian threat in recent months, every realistic policy option has major drawbacks. The problems I outlined here remain unsolved. Diplomatic sanctions may cut down even further visibility on Iran's nuclear activities. Economic sanctions will be difficult to target at the government. A ban on Iranian oil is predicted to send prices spiking, potentially hurting the world more than it does Iran."

Modern Tribalist: "Systematic rape in eastern Congo continues despite pleas for intervention - Dennis Bueckert: Eric Schiller has visited some of the world's most notorious trouble spots, from Gaza to Haiti, but nothing prepared him for what he saw in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Schiller, who spent six weeks in eastern Congo as a volunteer with Christian Peacemaker Teams, says the distinguishing feature of the conflict is the systematic use of rape to control the population. UN agencies estimate Congo's tragedy has claimed far more casualties than the Rwandan genocide - some four million lives since 1996, making the Congo hostilities the deadliest since the Second World War."

TPM Cafe (Mark Leon Goldberg): For the record. A couple days ago, I posted about the "Washington Post's Wednesday editorial on the human rights council which misrepresented a key fact about Jan Eliasson's proposal. I sent my concerns to the ombudsman and it seems that wrongs have been righted: "Correction - A Feb. 28 editorial misrepresented the proposal for a United Nations human rights council put forward by Jan Eliasson, president of the U.N. General Assembly. Mr. Eliasson proposes that countries seeking a seat on the council must win votes from a majority of U.N. member states, not from a majority of the states that vote on their candidacy. Because of the possibility of abstentions, Mr. Eliasson's proposal sets a higher bar than the one we described."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Paper Chase: "EU supports UN rights council proposal despite US opposition - The 25-member European Union (EU) has issued a statement of support for a draft resolution [PDF text; JURIST report] proposing a new UN Human Rights Council to replace the generally-discredited Human Rights Commission, which has been severely criticized for not preventing rights violators from using their membership to protect one another from censure."

Sudan Watch: "Feb 28 2006 Bloomberg report reveals the UN's top envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk said intelligence shows there are "persons in Khartoum who were not there before," meaning al-Qaeda terrorists who have threatened his life and would act against any UN troops, particularly non-Africans."

Jurist Forum: "The Iran Nuclear Standoff: Legal Issues - JURIST Guest Columnist Daniel Joyner of the University of Warwick School of Law in the United Kingdom says that now that Iran has been referred to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program, some Council action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter seems likely, but it's difficult to see what would come of that use of authority other than international armed conflict."

African Update: "Various media sources have recently reported that Jan Pronk, the United Nations' special envoy in Sudan, believes that there is a strong and growing anti-UN and anti-NATO sentiment in Khartoum which has been fueled by fear of a "conspiracy against the Arab-Islamic world." Recently Sudan's president Omar el-Bashir was sounding very much like pre-invasion Saddam Hussein when he said that Darfur would become a "graveyard" for any foreign military contingent that entered the region without his government's approval. So if the UN (or NATO) can get past these hurdles and deploy troops in Darfur with a mandate to stop the violence what will happen? Will it truly become a "graveyard" as President Bashir says? Will Jihad be unleashed on the troops there and on the countries that sent those troops? ... Let"s hope not. Let's hope that rationality and a general worldwide distaste for genocide rule the day."

Mental Meanderings: "The controversy about the new Human Rights Council in the United Nations continues unabated. The new Council is proposed to replace the Human Rights Commission which has already been discussed here. The US has confirmed that they will oppose the format of the new Council, mainly because the danger of human rights offenders being elected to the Council continues unabated in the absence of the requirement for a two-thirds majority vote for membership. I challenge anyone to find an international institution that is absolutely perfect. I equally challenge anyone to find a nation state that does not violate human rights standards. However I would wager that the vast majority of states have improved their compliance with human rights standards by means of the UN and it is through a marriage of the world's two dominant discources: security and rights: that further development can be secured."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Daily Kos (DemFromCT): "Combining two favorite topics of mine (bird flu and polling), here's a bird flu poll, courtesy of Harvard School of Public Health. Some of the interesting findings: "More than half of Americans (57%) report that they are concerned about the potential spread of bird flu in the United States (Figures available here in .ppt). However, only 15% are very concerned at the moment." Meanwhile, H5N1 is becoming endemic in Europe. This means that the poultry may be exposed again and again to the virus, as has already happened in Hong Kong. The longer term approach may be a better vaccine for poultry and humans; short term, culling and other methods must be used. But senior flu researcher Robert Webster in this paper warns against killing migratory birds: "...culling migratory birds is not acceptable to any international authority (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], the World Organization for Animal Health [OIE], the World Health Organization [WHO]). The idea of culling migratory birds must be strongly discouraged, for it could have unknown ecologic consequences."

Political Animal: "So why isn't anyone interested in doing much about the Sudanese-sponsored genocide in Darfur? Well, China and Russia both want Sudan's oil and the United States wants Sudan's intelligence. And nobody's much interested in sending their kids to Africa to die in someone else's war. But will the U.S. do the right thing anyway, two years after Colin Powell admitted that the war in Darfur was genocide? UN ambassador John Bolton has been making the right noises lately, but Mark Leon Goldberg of the American Prospect says that the most immediate way to demonstrate seriousness on this issue is to support sanctions against Salah Abdala Gosh."

TPM Cafe: "The U.S. just released this announcement, stating that it will vote against the resolution establishing the new Human Rights Council in the General Assembly. "We are very disappointed with the draft that was produced last Thursday. We don't think it's acceptable," Bolton said. "We'll be calling around today and we're making it plain to delegations that we want to reopen the negotiations." So the U.S. wants another do-over. The HRC as it stands now is a serious disappointment - there seems to be little disagreement over that - but Bolton has already wasted countless opportunities to make it right. Does the administration really think Bolton can save the day after eight straight months of diplomatic ineptitude?"

Congo Watch: "Press Release: United Nations via Scoop 23 February 2006: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the new Constitution and electoral laws of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the United Nations is helping to organize one of the biggest polls in which it has ever participated. "These steps mark important milestones in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Mr. Annan said in a statement released by his spokesman."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Peek: "Number one of the eight Millennium Development Goals that all 191 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015 is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. In addition to the security concern noted above, there's an ethical imperative. Is there a belief system on Earth that doesn't essentially tell you that you're connected to every other human and that your soul suffers as theirs does?"

Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: Benn Calls for UN Action - From SAPA-AFP: "Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn has called for the United Nations (UN) to take over peacekeeping duties in the conflict-torn Sudanese region of Darfur."

Logical Voice: "News 24 brings us news that Jean Bertrand Aristide, the former leader of Haiti, ousted with the complicity of the US, is planning on returning to his home country soon: "In an interview with the broadcaster, Aristide said a date for his return to his country from South Africa would be announced as soon as the necessary consultations have taken place. He said newly elected president Rene Preval would consult with the United Nations, other Caribbean states and South Africa about his return."

Matthew Yglesias: "Israel and NATO - A little while ago, someone floated to me the idea that NATO membership should be extended to Israel as a means of, among other things, coping with the Iran issue. This struck me as a pretty good idea marred by a serious flaw -- Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty commits member states more-or-less unconditionally to defend each other's borders, but Israel doesn't have borders. Or, rather, it has several sets of borders. On the one hand, there's the 1948 cease-fire line that constitutes its official borders in the eyes of the UN. On the other hand, there are the de facto borders it controls, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank , the Golan Heights , and the Sheba Farms area."

Stygius: "Sketchy reports are out that Ratko Mladic has been arrested in Belgrade. Or is he negotiating a surrender? Is it all just BS? Serbia 's government is denying. The United Nations is denying. A London Times profile of Mladic."

Brothers Judd: "NOW YOU'RE TALKIN!: Gorkha Rifles earmarks for United Nations Mission in Sudan: "1/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), an elite infantry battalion of the Indian Army, earmarked for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on Tuesday. India is contributing two Infantry Battalions to this mission in addition to certain support elements. The Force Commander in the Mission is also an Indian General, Lieutenant General J.S. Lidder. It is for the first time in any UN Mission that an entire battalion has been earmarked as the Force Reserve Air Mobile Battalion. Incidentally, this is the third foray of the battalion info the African continent, the first two having been during World War I and World War II. This highly decorated battalion has been awarded 23 Battle Honours and four Victoria Crosses in the pre- dependence period and the Battle Honours of Zojila, Kargil and Sehjra and Theatre Honours of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the post independence period amongst many other awards and decorations." Welcome to the Axis of Good."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Informed Comment: "Bringing the United Nations Back In - There will be anti-War protests in the coming month, as the 3-year anniversary of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq approaches. I think it is time to demand a timetable for US withdrawal from Iraq. I suspect a majority of Iraqi parliamentarians want that. The Sunni Arabs demand it. The Sadrists demand it. It is time. Saying that the guerrillas would take advantage of a timetable, given the carnage we saw on Monday is frankly silly. They are taking advantage of the current situation. We have to create a new situation, with which they might be happier so that they stop blowing things up. Staying this course is untenable. But that step will not necessarily resolve the crisis. I think the peace movement has a real opportunity here to make a push for much heavier United Nations involvement in Iraq. I say, let's make up placards calling on Kofi Annan to get involved, and calling on Bush to let the UN come in in a big way, with proper protection."

Democracy Arsenal: "I spent this weekend at a conference organized by the Stanley Foundation on UN Reform. Stanley is deeply valued at the UN for convening in-depth, substantive sessions that are small enough to allow participants to engage and actually reach decisions. David Shorr, an occasional guest-blogger here, has masterminded these UN events in recent years. This weekend he and Stanley Foundation President Dick Stanley focused on the nuts and bolts of how to streamline the thousands of UN mandates that have accumulated over the years. They convened a group including a dozen UN ambassadors from major countries (none with mustaches), a handful of their deputies, a few top Secretariat and US government officials, one academic and one blogger. For me it was a chance to delve back into reform issues 5 years after completing negotiations at the US Mission to the UN to reform the organization's financial system in 2001. Here are 10 reasons why the weekend left me somewhat heartened on prospects for UN reform..."

Netsquared: "I'm having time over this long weekend to catch up on some of my favorite podcasts, including UNICEF's podcast. In a February 6th program, they announced the launch of the UNICEF vodcast. Here's what UNICEF's Chief of the Internet, Broadcast and Image Section, Stephen Cassidy, had to say about why they chose to use this new tool: "UNICEF wants to be part of that group of people who are participating in this new technology. We think early adopters will be people that we want to talk with and that they will spread the word in a broader community. We want the world to be interested in the health, education, equality and protection of the world's children. As part of delivering that message, we're seeking every possible platform, every single mountaintop from which to call our message, and the vodcast is the latest way that we can accomplish that goal."

Moderate Voice: "Finally: "President Bush on Friday called for doubling the number of international troops in the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan and a bigger role for NATO in the peacekeeping effort. After private talks with world leaders, including U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Bush decided to call for an additional 7,000 or more troops to be placed under U.N. command, along with the 7,000 African Union troops already there, because such an expansion would be the quickest way to intervene in the bloody conflict, the officials said." However, given the administration's very pessimistic view on the UN's effectiveness, does this mean anything at all? Cynical? Sure, but that's what we're dealing with right now in this region. Worldwide pessimism Truly, how many people have to die before we make a serious march towards curing the situation in this region? Let's hope this policy can make a difference."

Washington Note: "Interestingly, a name that appears on every serious list as a potential successor to Kofi Annan, whose term ends on December 31st of this year, is Prince Zeid Raed al-Hussein of Jordan . Richard Holbrooke identifies Prince Zeid as a "dark horse" candidate for the UN Secretary General job, but he has a major ally working quietly (believe it or not) on his behalf: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Agonist: "CSM - Amid new escalation in fighting in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan, with rebels shooting down a government helicopter Tuesday, there's fresh pressure on the international community to step in to help stop the three-year-old conflict. It comes as consensus is hardening in Western capitals and at the United Nations that the 7,000 African troops now in Darfur, as part of a force supplied by the African Union, are inadequate. Because of limited training, equipment, and marching orders, the AU troops have been unable to contain the fighting, provide safety for civilians, or adequately protect humanitarian aid groups operating in the desert region, which is the size of Texas."

Ethiopundit: "Deepening poverty shatters families in Ethiopia: "Ethiopia has the world's largest population of orphaned children, with 4.6 million having lost parents to AIDS and other diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, according to a 2004 study by the United Nations and Ethiopia's labor and social affairs ministry." God and fate have not betrayed Ethiopians but her rulers have. As Rural Ethiopians Struggle, Child Labor Can Mean Survival: [WaPo] "Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of child labor in the world, according to the United Nations' International Labor Organization and the African Network for the Prevention of and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect."

Effect Measure: "You can add Austria, Germany and Iran to the list of countries where swans are dying of H5N1 infection. They join reports of dead swans in Italy and Greece and elsewhere. The birds seem very susceptible and because of their large size their carcasses are especially visible. The virus is penetrating rapidly into the heart of the EU. It is by now generally assumed the virus is traveling via wild migratory birds, but a piece today in The Scientist and another in Nature suggests there is still some question. Migratory birds were certainly the thought behind our recent post where we called the Nigerian cases another stop on "the Qinghai Express." But scientists within the UN's Food and Agriculture Organiazation are now saying the disease was almost certainly stewing away in the country for weeks before its official detection, something echoed by local residents."

Jonestream: "UN Calls for £400m to End Congo's 'Forgotten Crisis'" - "Britain will pledge £60m in humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today in response to an appeal by the United Nations for £400m to end the 'forgotten crisis' in the central African country before it holds elections. With 216,000 lives lost to conflict and poverty in the past six months, Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary, said the money was crucial to alleviate hunger and disease, and for long-term development in the country where fighting continues in the north and east despite a peace deal."

Paper Chase: "Thirteen UN staff members operating in Eritrea have been detained by the Eritrean government but have not been charged by officials with any crime. A significant number of the remainder of the civilian UN mission in Eritrea, tasked with monitoring the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, have reportedly gone into hiding, fearing detention or arrest. The UN has protested the detentions to the Eritrean government, but the only response has been a statement by the Eritrean Minister of Information saying that Eritrea would not allow the UN to harbor 'fugitives' from Eritrea. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of the United Nations. BBC News has more."

Powerblog: "Wired News passes along this article by Christ Kohler, "U.N. Game Wins Hearts and Minds." The story gives a brief overview and history of the video game created by the United Nations World Food Programme, Food Force. Check out my review of Food Force here. I conclude that the game is good as far as it goes: "Larger structural issues about the WFP and the UN remain outside the scope of the game, but nevertheless are reflected in the game's guiding ethos and makeup. We can only hope that the WFP's stated commitment to the independence of those it helps is manifested by policies that actually give those in need economic freedom and the hope of development. Addressing the root causes of poverty can be the only real long-term solution to poverty, hunger, and the devastation brought about by natural disasters."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Flap's Blog: [AP] "Russia and France immediately called on Iran to halt its work and fulfill the demands of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, according to a joint statement posted on the Kremlin's Web site." More bloviating from Russia and France. They MAY vote for economic sanctions against Iran when these issues come before the United Nations Security Council but cannot be counted upon for more... The ball continues in the Mullah's court. Iran must STAND DOWN or suffer the consequences. Iran WILL NOT develop or possess nuclear weapons."

Eccentric Star: "Cartoon Protests Continue; Protest Violence Also Condemned - "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the drawings as "insensitive and rather offensive," but he called for dialogue. "Right now there's megaphone diplomacy," Annan told Denmark's national broadcaster DR. "And I think we should turn off the megaphones and begin to talk quietly to each other."

Coalition for Darfur: "Darfur: UN Hails Progress - From AFP: "The United Nations said Monday the humanitarian situation in Sudan 's Darfur region had improved in 2005 but stressed that hundreds of thousands of people were left out of reach of aid. "The humanitarian situation is under control, in spite of insecurity in some areas, and most of the sectors are being covered with humanitarian operations," senior UN humanitarian affairs officer Mike McDonagh told reporters. He said the World Food Programme and its dozens of partner aid organisations had distributed 439,000 tons of food last week in the conflict-stricken region last year of western Sudan."

Liquid List: "Nicholas Kristof, absolutely indispensable when writing about international issues, again hits his now-familiar refrain on Darfur . One good bit -- among a whole column of good stuff -- is this succinct paragraph of all that President Bush could do but isn't doing yet: "Here are some grown-up steps Mr. Bush could take: He could enforce a no-fly zone to stop air attacks on civilians in Darfur, lobby Arab leaders to become involved, call President Hu Jintao and ask China to stop protecting Sudan, invite Darfur refugees to a photo op at the White House, attend a coming donor conference for Darfur, visit Darfur or the refugee camps next door in Chad, push France and other allies for a NATO bridging force to provide protection until United Nations troops arrive, offer to support the United Nations force with American military airlift and logistical support... make a major speech about Darfur, and arrange for Colin Powell to be appointed a United Nations special envoy to seek peace among Darfur's tribal sheiks."

Washington Note: "I just posted this piece regarding John Bolton's fortress strategy against the New York Times' UN-watcher Warren Hoge. There is something wrong when the recess-appointed Bolton thinks it's great to speak at the Jesse Helms Center but won't give the time of day to the New York Times. But that's the way TWN thought he would behave all along."

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Regime Change Iran: "The United Nations wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and five of his relatives and aides, including his younger brother, for questioning in the murder of Lebanon's former premier, Rafiq al-Hariri. (Assad has tried to negotiate immunity for himself and his brother in exchange for handing over the others - but the U.N. wouldn't play.)"

TPM Cafe (Michael Levi): "Inspecting Iran - Are inspections a technical or a political process? That question comes to mind as Iran prepares to resume its uranium enrichment activities, after the IAEA Board of Governors reported its case to the UN Security Council this past weekend. Until now, Iran's enrichment activities had been suspended under an agreement with Britain, France, and Germany; the suspension had also been requested by the IAEA itself. Now, as Iran restarts its work, the IAEA will resume routine but spare inspections, monitoring Iranian installations for unauthorized production or diversion of nuclear material."

Terrorism News: "The former U.N. weapons inspector who said Iraq disarmed long before the U.S. invasion in 2003 is warning Americans to prepare for a war with Iran. "We just don't know when, but it's going to happen," Scott Ritter said to a crowd of about 150 at the James A. Little Theater last Sunday night. Ritter described how the U.S. government might justify war with Iran in a scenario similar to the buildup to the Iraq invasion. He also argued that Iran wants a nuclear energy program, and not nuclear weapons. But the Bush administration, he said, refuses to believe Iran is telling the truth. He predicted the matter will wind up before the U.N. Security Council, which will determine there is no evidence of a weapons program. Then, he said, John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, "will deliver a speech that has already been written. It says America cannot allow Iran to threaten the United States and we must unilaterally defend ourselves." How do I know this? I've talked to Bolton's speechwriter," Ritter said."

Counterterrorism Blog: "The Treasury Department's OFAC designation today of leaders and entities affiliated with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) is an important step in at least tracking and identifying the leaders of lesser-known al Qaeda affiliates. It will have little real economic impact because the group does not have assets in the United States, but if the measure is extended to the UN, it could make it more difficult for the group to operate."

Screenshots: "Imam Ahmed Abu- Laban, the Danish Muslim cleric accused of instigating the world wide protests over offensive caricature depicting Prophet Mohammed, says the escalating violence is no longer about the cartoon, but a reaction to the West's view of Islam. Imam Abu- Laban leads a mosque in Copenhagen. This contrasts starkly with the Kofi Annan-anchored joint effort by the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that appeals for an end to violence around the Muslim world that has now escalated into a global crisis. In Iraq, the Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani condemned the Muslim inciters, says a Washington Post editorial. These pictures from London streets are distressing and alarming. When is there a closure?"

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Moondancer: "U.N. delegates drafting a treaty to protect the rights of the world's 600 million disabled have resolved many of their differences and are on track to complete the document in August, the diplomat leading the negotiations said on Friday. "It should be possible to conclude drafting at our next meeting in August," New Zealand Ambassador Don MacKay told a news conference after a three-week drafting session. "We have made real progress and there are relatively few unresolved issues," he said. "But it is more than just dotting the i's and crossing the t's." A U.N. committee that includes all 191 U.N. member-nations has been working since 2001 on a treaty to promote and protect the rights of the disabled."

Stygius: "Steve Clemons' long-anticipated project, an online watch page on UN Ambassador John Bolton, is now active. Bolton Watch is being hosted by TPMCafe, and Steve's first post is up: "As a friend of mine inside the State Department recently told me, I have a slew of friends inside the Department and in the nooks and crannies of Bolton's world who want Bolton Watch to play a constructive role in helping Condoleezza Rice to supervise him."

Coalition for Darfur: "Da