Vital Perspective

UN troops in Sudan raping children

In case you thought that news of the blue helmeted United Nations troops raping kids in the Congo was an aberration, this should set you straight. The UK's Daily Telegraph reports:

Members of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in southern Sudan are facing allegations of raping and abusing children as young as 12, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The abuse allegedly began two years ago when the UN mission in southern Sudan (UNMIS) moved in to help rebuild the region after a 23-year civil war.

The UN has up to 10,000 military personnel in the region, of all nationalities and the allegations involve peacekeepers, military police and civilian staff.

The first indications of sexual exploitation emerged within months of the UN force's arrival and The Daily Telegraph has seen a draft of an internal report compiled by the UN children's agency Unicef in July 2005 detailing the problem.

But the UN has not publicly acknowledged that there is a problem and when contacted repeatedly by this newspaper UN headquarters refused to comment.

[...] This paper has gathered more than 20 victims' accounts claiming that peacekeeping and civilian staff based in the town are regularly picking up young children in their UN vehicles and forcing them to have sex.

It is thought that hundreds of children may have been abused.

[...] The Daily Telegraph has learned that a number of complaints have been made about the behaviour of UN personnel stationed in Juba. Yet those accused have not been tracked down nor has there been any attempt by the UN or local officials to interview those making the accusations. [...] An unfinished copy of the internal Unicef report, seen by The Daily Telegraph, shows that the UN has been aware of the problem for more than a year.

"Evidence suggests that UNMIS staff may already be involved in sexual exploitation," the report says. "UN cars have been staying into the early hours of the morning, as late as 6am, at a restaurant/disco called Kololo in Juba … adult informants reported seeing a UNMIS car stop along a main road in Juba to pick up three young girls."

We would respectfully refer the previously mentioned hypocrites who call for "Saving Darfur" by sending in UN peacekeepers to the above article.

A local judge doesn't appear too concerned though:

Juba's county court judge, Ali Said, said that the region had seen an increase in child prostitution since the UN arrived.

''The majority of people working for the UN and NGOs are men and need to be entertained. But no cases have come to court," he said.

Aha, we get it Ali, it's just men needing to be entertained. Nothing to see, move along folks.

Read the whole sordid thing. For more information on the cesspool of corruption that is the U.N., see Nations United by Alex Grobman.

UPDATE:

Just to be clear, the UN isn't the only one doing the raping in Sudan.  The Islamist militias themselves have been quite busy as well.

New UN S-G Ban: Iranian Statements on Holocaust, Israel are 'Unacceptable'

Could a great change be coming at the UN? Incoming UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Iran today that it was unacceptable to deny the Holocaust or call for Israel to be wiped off the map. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just ended a two-day international conference on the Holocaust that was dominated by speakers who questioned the extermination of 6 million Jews by the Nazis.

"Denying historical facts especially on such an important subject as the Holocaust is just not acceptable," Ban said. "Nor is it acceptable to call for the elimination of states or people. I would like to see this fundamental principle respected in both rhetoric and practice by all the members of the international community." A former South Korean foreign minister, Ban assumes his post on January 1.

Former U.S. Envoy to UN Jeane Kirkpatrick, Hawk on Islamic Terror, Dead at 80

Jeane Kirkpatrick, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN under President Reagan, has died today. She was 80 years old. In the days after September 11, she called on the Congress to issue a formal declaration of war against the "entire fundamentalist Islamic terrorist network".

In a 2002 speech to ZOA, Kirkpatrick warned that the creation of a Palestinian state would be "a catastrophic mistake" and "a danger to Israel." She said it would be "appeasement" and "it would be a step backward in America's fight against international terrorism… When we accept a terrorist state as legitimate, we strengthen terrorist groups."

UNDP: Discrimination Against Women Holding Back Arab World Development

A new UNDP report says that discrimination against women is holding back economic and social development across the Arab World, and recommends that Arab women be given greater access to education, employment, health care and public life. Islam is not to blame for the problem, the report says, but rather political inflexibility, male domination and war.

Maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high - 1,000 per 100,000 live births in the poorest Arab League states - and women suffer more overall ill-health than men. In all but four Arab countries, fewer than 80% of girls go to secondary school. Half of all women are illiterate compared to one-third of men. In public life women's involvement is very limited: they make up an average of only about 10% of members of parliament, for example - the lowest proportion in the world.

"Arab countries stand to reap extraordinary benefits from giving men and women equal opportunities to acquire and utilise knowledge," the report says.

UN Overwhelmingly Approves Arab League Envoy to Int'l Law Commission

Hussein Hassouna, the ambassador of the League of Arab States to the U.S., has been elected by the UN General Assembly to be a member of the International Law Commission by 153 of 187 UN voting members - the highest number of votes among all Arab and African candidates.

The International Law Commission, composed of 34 experts in international law, was established in 1947 for the promotion of the progressive development of international law. The commission meets every summer in Geneva and prepares written drafts that are sent to the General Assembly for adoption.

An Egyptian by birth, Ambassador Hassouna has served in the UN, Morocco and Yugoslavia. In the past, he has served Egypt as assistant foreign minister and legal advisor to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Hassouna said, "I strongly believe that respect for international law and its implementation by all nations is the best guarantee for a peaceful, secure and just world."

Bush Accepts Amb. Bolton's Resignation; Search for Replacement Must Begin

President Bush has accepted Ambassador John Bolton's resignation effective at the end of his recess appointment. Best coverage of blog reaction is over at Stop the ACLU. Needless to say, it's not a good way for the White House to start the week. This story should have been released on a Friday afternoon...

It is with deep regret that I accept John Bolton's decision to end his service in the Administration as Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations when his commission expires.

Over a year ago, I appointed Ambassador Bolton because I knew he would represent America's values and effectively confront difficult problems at the United Nations. He served his country with extraordinary dedication and skill, assembling coalitions that addressed some of the most consequential issues facing the international community. During his tenure, he articulately advocated the positions and values of the United States and advanced the expansion of democracy and liberty.

Ambassador Bolton led the successful negotiations that resulted in unanimous Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea's military and nuclear activities. He built consensus among our allies on the need for Iran to suspend the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. His efforts to promote the cause of peace in Darfur resulted in a peacekeeping commitment by the United Nations. He made the case for United Nations reform because he cares about the institution, and wants it to become more credible and effective.

I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States Senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate. They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate, and even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time. This stubborn obstructionism ill serves our country, and discourages men and women of talent from serving their Nation.

I thank John Bolton for the dedication and skill with which he performed his duties, and his wife Gretchen and daughter Jennifer Sarah for their support as Ambassador Bolton served his country. All Americans owe John Bolton their gratitude for a job well done.

We can only imagine what this will mean for the U.S. over at the UN. Bolton was a great voice, and while he unfortunately won't be back, we're hopeful Bush will be able to find another candidate who will be just as tough where it counts in the off-camera meetings with fellow diplomats. There's too much work to do on Iran and North Korea, among other issues, to not have a pitbull in New York.

Qatar Takes Lead in Security Council, Ministers to Convene on MidEast Peace

Qatar's Permanent Mission to the UN has declared that as President of the Security Council, it has ordered the Security Council to convent next month for an "open thematic debate at the Ministerial level on 'Sustainable Peace in the Middle East.'" The meeting will convene on December 7, the day after the Baker Commission report is released in Washington.

The main purpose of the meeting, according to Qatar, "would be to engage the Council in discussion on the most effective ways to guarantee the establishment of a lasting peace in that important region of the world, and the sustainability of that peace."

Qatar has invited Israeli FM Tzipi Livni to participate in the meeting, however, no representatives from the Palestinian Authority have been extended an invitation. Qatari Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser envisages "a presidential statement to be adopted at the meeting that expresses the points of view of the members of the Council on the steps to be taken in the coming stage to reach a settlement of that issue which has been sitting on the agenda of the Council for too many decades."

UPDATE 11/30 @ 13:07: For more on this issue, we refer you back to an important post we had last month that links up to a document outlining the Qatari agenda for next month.

UPDATE 12/01 @ 15:39: The proposed meeting has been moved to December 12.

Annan Sends Message to Human Rights Council to Go Beyond Israeli Issues

Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reportedly sent a letter to the Human Rights Council, condemning it for being too narrowly focused on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Today, we have seen the letter itself. Below is the opening of the letter, which goes on to discuss less exciting structure issues for the Council.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
MESSAGE TO THE THIRD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
GENEVA, 29 NOVEMBER 2006

Distinguished Members of the Human Rights Council,

I send you my greetings as you begin your third regular session. Since your first session in June you have been very active - holding three special sessions as well as two regular ones. You have focused especially on the Arab-Israeli conflict, which indeed has escalated during these months in ways that cause deep concern to us all. I am glad to note that the High Commissioner is also paying close attention to developments in the Middle East, and that you will be hearing a report from her on her recent visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

I hope, however, that the Council will take care to handle this issue in an impartial way, and not allow it to monopolize attention at the expense of others where there are equally grave or even graver violations. There are surely other situations, besides the one in the Middle East, which would merit scrutiny by a special session of this Council. I would suggest that Darfur is a glaring case in point.

IDF Completes Transfer of Minefield Records; Key 1701 Requirement Fulfilled

The IDF has completed handing over the minefield records for southern Lebanon to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre, Southern Lebanon (MACCSL) as required by section 8 of Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Alain Pelligrini has also confirmed that all minefield records available for southern Lebanon and areas north of the Litani River have been received from the IDF.

UN: 10 States, Hezbollah Supplying Weapons to Islamists Fighting in Somalia

Ten nations and Hezbollah have been supplying weapons to groups fighting for control of Somalia, violating an international arms embargo, according to a UN commission report. The panel, charged with monitoring the arms embargo on Somalia, said Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Iran, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Uganda all had supported armed groups inside Somalia. One section of the report said that the Islamists sent more than 700 Somalis to Lebanon to fight alongside Hezbollah in its war with Israel over the summer.

Both the interim Somalian government, which is backed by Ethiopia, and the Islamic Courts militia, backed by Eritrea, have been preparing for an all-out war for control of Somalia, the report concluded. Mediators from East Africa and the Arab League have been working frantically to reach some kind of peace deal, but so far without success.

The authors of the report called on the international community to closely monitor Somalia's coastline and land borders to intercept suspected arms shipments. The Security Council resolution that imposed the embargo does not authorize any methods to enforce it.