Blog Roundup #110

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.”