Blog Roundup #34

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Chrenkoff: “Good news from Iraq, part 32 – The European Union will be channeling 20 million euro ($24 million) through the United Nations in support of the constitutional process… Meanwhile, the United Nations has conducted a massive successful immunization campaign throughout Iraq – with some help from the private sector.”

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Captain’s Quarters: “The New York Times editorial board works itself into quite an emotional state this morning over the recess appointment of John Bolton to the UN. In fact, their editorial today goes so far as to praise Condoleezza Rice’s performance at State, which they haven’t bothered to do as a stand-alone opinion, just to take a swipe at Bolton.”

Coalition for Darfur: “U.N. sees Joint Investigation into Garang’s Death – From Reuters: “The United Nations has offered to help investigate the cause of the helicopter crash which killed former southern Sudanese rebel leader and First Vice President John Garang, Sudan’s top U.N. envoy said on Tuesday. Jan Pronk said Garang’s death, announced on Monday, was a setback to a peace deal that ended Africa’s longest civil war, but the speedy transition of power was a positive sign that the former rebel group could stay united without Garang.”

Democracy Arsenal: “The Perfect Task For John Bolton – During the first month or two after John Bolton’s nomination I wrote reams about him, so I won’t revisit all that now. My take on the merits of the recess appointment can be found here. Bottom line is that I am proud of those on the SFRC for the fight they put up, and eager for a substantive debate this fall over what the Administration will accomplish during this all important General Assembly session devoted to UN reform. Speaking of reform…. Given that one of his signature credentials for the UN post was over-turning the organization’s notorious Zionism is Racism resolution, if the Administration is right that Bolton can be effective at the UN, why not have him tackle the betterment of Israel’s status at the world body? Let him show us what he can do.”

Hidden Nook: “Bush Bypasses Senate, Confirms Bolton – It seems that President Bush has bypassed the Senate completely and used his constitutional powers to appoint John Bolton as the next Ambassador to the United Nations. … The United States has been without a representative to the United Nations for approximately six months, and with major issues such as UN reform (something desperately needed) coming to the table. Bolton’s nomination has sparked heated debate, especially on the left, and his appointment will only create more conspiracy theories amongst many of the “elite” liberals.”

Liquid List: “Look, I don’t think there is much more of a point in debating the administration’s choice for UN ambassador. It’s clear, of course, that if they want to do something, they just will. They don’t care, and they have made this fact abundantly clear.”