A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
LEFT COASTER: "Perhaps we know now why the White House is fighting so furiously to prevent the Senate Intelligence Committee from getting all of the documents wanted by committee Democrats to evaluate the fitness of John Bolton to be our UN ambassador. According to Wednesday's New York Times previewed in the International Herald Tribune, it has been leaked by administration sources that what the White House is refusing to release to the committee are reports that Bolton obtained from the NSA by way of a special request."
CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS: "Condoleezza Rice revealed in a speech yesterday that a consortium of nations, including the US, stopped nuclear material from reaching Iran as well as other rogue nations over the last nine months. The participating nations of the Proliferation Security Initiative have quietly cooperated on eleven interdictions during that time, at least one of those directly involving Teheran... UPDATE: Who was the man who made the diplomatic arrangements to get over 60 nations involved in PSI? Why ... none other than that hardass meanie, John Bolton. Go figure."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
JUAN COLE: "Two Army analysts who mistakenly claimed that aluminum tubing bought by Iraq was for centrifuges to enrich uranium received job performance awards during the past 3 years. If Elbaradei could see the falsehood of the claims almost immediately, it is not plausible that US analysts could not. Every American should go back and read thoroughly the transcripts of the reports to the UN of Mohamed Elbaradei in February and March of 2003."
PIRATE'S COVE: "I do believe that the United Nations has done, and still does, some good. That's a fact. There is no doubt in my mind that that is the case. However, do the good things that they have done, are doing, and will do, absolve them of the bad that they have done, are doing, and might do? Hell no. So why does the Left excuse the actions of the UN?"
&c.: "Pat Moynihan may have talked tough at the U.N. in the 1970s, but the man understood how to combine tough talk with immense charm when necessary. Bolton--well, not so much."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS: "Voinovich's continued offensive against Bolton will rankle the base, especially in light of fellow Ohioan Mike DeWine's participation in the confirmation agreement. Now with all of the shenanigans going on in the Senate, the last thing the GOP caucus needs is another "maverick" showing up the leadership and the White House."
LOADED MOUTH: "As I've reported before, the UN World Food Program (WFP) is runing extremely low on funds, and for the people of Darfur, this is the worst possible time for a WFP budget crisis because Sudan's rainy season starts in a month, which will make the transportation of rations nearly impossible. But even I'm surprised at how far in the hole WFP is. There's still time to donate. Hint hint."
WASHINGTON NOTE: "Doug Jehl captured the rarity of a Senator like Voinovich breaking not only once with his party -- but essentially THREE TIMES -- given his "Dear Colleagues" letter on Bolton."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
DEMOCRACY ARSENAL: "In response to my post yesterday on the beefing up of UN peacekeeping capabilities, Greg at Belgravia Dispatch raised the question of whether we would ever entrust missions "of utmost import to our national security" to a UN force.... We may never hand something akin from a strategic perspective to Iraq over to the UN, but its easy to envision a mission in Darfur - provided the killings can be stopped - being handled by the world body."
TREEHUGGER: "A recent survey may have found that some young people aren't engaged by environmental issues, but the United Nations Environment Program is not planning on leaving them uninformed."
WAR AND PIECE: "How does the Senate deal affect the Bolton nomination? Steve Clemons reports on several developments, including the Democratic Caucus discussion on Bolton today."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
CHRENKOFF: "Efforts to improve Iraqi health continue. "With funding from USAID, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is implementing a comprehensive package of activities designed to help Iraq meet Millennium Development Goals in public health."
DANIEL STARR: "In the Congo today, UN peacekeepers are simply called heroes.... UN troops are being sent against bad guys in the low-intensity wars that are too dull, too dangerous or just too prolonged for America and Europe to commit their own troops. They're not up to American or German standards, but the UN contingents are skilled and equipped enough to overwhelm thugs with guns, and "thugs with guns" is exactly who fights a lot of these nasty drawn-out wars. UN troops are shaping up to be a useful part of the "arsenal of peace" we'd like to have to keep another terrorist-haven Afghanistan from taking shape. They're getting better. And yes, we may even see UN troops in certain roles in Iraq."
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: "The Blue Helmets are seldom called in for "pure" peacekeeping mission in which, as the name implies, there is a peace to keep. Instead, UN forces are inserted between still-hostile factions in an attempt to create peace. That's a war fighting mission and forces must be trained, equipped, and led with that understanding."
SCRUTINY HOOLIGANS: "Remember George Galloway? The U.S. Senate website doesn't."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
LEFT COASTER: "US computer billionaire Bill Gates yesterday accused rich countries of turning their back on deadly diseases affecting millions of poor people, as he announced an additional $250 million (BD94.5m) (euro198 million) ($A330.73 million) (NZ$639 million) contribution for health research in developing countries."
FIRST DRAFT: "Paging Norm Coleman - Norm Coleman to the White Courtesy Phone Please: "U.S. officials are now unsure whether billions of dollars dispatched to Iraqi ministries to fund reconstruction projects ever reached their final destinations. Schools and hospitals refurbished with hastily issued contracts have again fallen into disrepair. The oil and power industries are in worse shape than during the Saddam Hussein regime."
WARREN ELLIS: "More than half of all humans will soon be living in cities, according to a prediction by the United Nations. "Psychologically it is an important step for mankind," Hania Zlotnik, director of the United Nations Population Division, told the BBC. "It's an increasing trend that is becoming more obvious. People do not realise how rural the world was until recently. That is changing." In 1900, only 14% of humanity lived in cities. By the century's close, 47% of us did so. This change is revealed in the growth of the number of medium-sized cities. In 1950, there were 83 cities with populations exceeding one million; but by 2000, this had risen to 411."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
ATRIOS: "Franken: Meanwhile, the Coalition Provisional Authority, which we ran, has lost 8.8 billion dollars. By lost, I mean it's totally unaccounted for. Not only has Congress not "looked into" this $8.8 billion and who might have it now, but it seems that some members are completely unaware that this staggering sum, which was supposed to go toward rebuilding Iraq, is missing."
HUFFINGTON POST (Al Franken): "Right now Coleman is looking into the Oil-for-Food program, which was administered by the Security Council in the U.N., mostly by the U.S. and Britain. That didn't stop Coleman from demanding Kofi Annan's resignation without any proof of any wrongdoing on his part. There appears to be anywhere from one to two billion dollars stolen through the program - with most of that going to Saddam. Primarily the U.S. and Britain took it upon themselves to make sure that none of this money went toward making W.M.D.s. They seemed to have done a pretty good job. Meanwhile, the Coalition Provisional Authority, which we ran, has lost 8.8 billion dollars. By lost, I mean it's totally unaccounted for."
MARTIN STABE: "The most interesting thing about George Galloway's performance in the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations yesterday was the way it highlighted the major differences in style between Westminster and Washington."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
WASHINGTON NOTE: "I have heard lots of "non-denial denials" in the past, but George Galloway's rejection and "full-body denial" of all accusations posed by Norm Coleman yesterday was as clear and resolute as could be imagined. Coleman and Senator Carl Levin clearly have access to some intelligence that makes them think that Galloway is guilty of some complicity in the U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal, but if Galloway is correct, which he declares boldly himself to be, then there is something deeply wrong with the intel we are getting out of Iraq."
THE MODERATE VOICE: "British politician George Galloway was in Washington yesterday to clear his name in the oil-for-food scandal - and came out with both verbal barrels blazing as he ripped into what he suggested was the hypocrisy of American politicians and the Bush administration."
MAHABLOG: "Julian Borger and Jamie Wilson of the Guardian dropped a bomb on the UN oil-for-food scandal so beloved by the Right, but don't hold your breath waiting for the righties to acknowledge it."
PARDON MY ENGLISH: "The United States Air Force is seeking a new national security directive which may allow the U.S. to field offensive and defensive space-based weapons systems. While it is to be expected that there will be the usual caterwauling from the "peaceful uses of space/let the United Nations govern the universe" crowd, they should be paid precious little heed."