At
UN,
Susan Rice is Asked About Obama Order for CIA in Libya: Were Council
Resolutions
& Members Skirted?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 30 -- While the Obama
administration argues that the
UN Security Council resolutions on Libya provide the “flexibility”
to allow arming of the rebels, a new
question emerged on Wednesday.
After
US officials
told the press that Obama signed a finding two or three weeks ago
authorizing Central Intelligence Agency activities in Libya, Inner
City Press asked US Ambassador Susan Rice on camera if that complied
with the UN resolution, and whether it was or should have been
disclosed to other Security Council members.
Ambassador
Rice
said she would not comment on intelligence matters, that President
Obama said yesterday he has “not made any decision” on arming the
rebels, has not “ruled anything in or out” but is “considering
all forms of potential assistnace to the opposition.”
Inner
City Press
began to ask as a follow up whether the US thinks that arming the
rebels is permitted by the resolution or requires a ruling or new
resolution. But Rice moved on to a question about the visa
status of
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, click here for that Inner City Press
story.
Rice, Obama & Clinton, negotiation of
1970/1973 & "finding" for CIA in Libya not shown
Moments
later off
camera Susan Rice summoned Inner City Press and said that “we have
not made any decision” about arming the rebels. She said she had
not seen the story quoting US officials about Obama signing the
finding allowing CIA action in Libya.
Russian
Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin told Inner City Press that the resolution do NOT
permit arming the rebels, adding that the it “was the American who
asked for the arms embargo.” How will he and other Security
Council members react to the US officials' quotes about Obama
authorizing CIA action in Libya, right while Security Council
resolutions were being negotiated? Watch this site.
From
the
US
Mission to the UN's transcript:
Inner
City
Press: There are reports that President Obama signed a finding
allowing the CIA to assist the Libyan rebels. Does this in any way
implicate the two resolutions, including the arms embargo in 1970
that was modified by 1973? Is this something that you disclosed to
other Council Members? Does it raise issues under the various
prohibitions of the resolutions?
Ambassador
Rice:
Well, first of all, obviously, as is longstanding U.S.
practice, I’m certainly not going to comment on any intelligence
matters. I will reaffirm what President Obama said yesterday which
is that we have not made any decision about whether the United States
will provide arms to opposition elements in Libya. We have neither
ruled it in, nor ruled it out. We are considering all forms of
potential assistance to the opposition from humanitarian, which we
are already providing, to political and other forms of support.
* * *
On
Libya, As Russia & India Say Can't Arm Rebels, Ban
Punts, Obama & Shalgam
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 29 -- While the chairman of the UN's Libya Sanctions
committee says that arming the
rebels would be impermissible, and the
Permanent Representatives of Russia and India told Inner City Press
just that on the morning of March 29, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
apparently, or conveniently, takes no position.
Inner
City Press
at the noon briefing asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky for if it
is Ban's understanding that the arms embargo of Resolution 1970 still
prohibits arming the rebels, despite the protection of civilians
“notwithstanding” clause of Resolution 1973.
“I think that's
for the Security Council to determine,” said Nesirky, who had just
said that “the ceasefire means what is says,” a ceasefire on both
side.
Why
would Ban
opine on one portion of the resolutions and not another? Inner City
Press pointed out to Nesirky that Ban's predecessor was willing, at
least once, to opine on the legality of a Permanent Council member's
action.
The
US, notably,
is now arguing that the resolutions give the “flexibility” to arm
the rebels, and France is saying it is ready to talk about it,
seemingly not through the UN Security Council.
It's
a battle
among the Permanent Five members of the Security Council, for now
with US and Russia with directly opposite positions.
On
March 29 Inner
City Press asked Russian Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin of
the resolutions permit arming the rebels. “No,” Churkin, noting
that the US had asked for the arms embargo.
Minutes
later,
Inner City Press quoted Churkin's response to US Permanent
Representative Susan Rice, who had earlier on “Good Morning America
said that
“the
United States would maintain financial and diplomatic pressure on the
Libyan government until Gaddafi leaves and hinted that new steps
could be in the offing, including the arming of Libyan rebels. 'We
have not made that decision, but we’ve not certainly ruled that
out,' she said on ABC’s 'Good Morning America' program.”
Ambassador
Rice said thanks for the information about what Churkin had said. Inner
City Press
has asked the US Mission to the UN to explain their argument, and “If
the US were to move to fund the rebels, would it inform (and,
separately, seek guidance or approval from) the UNSC Sanctions
committee first?” So far answers have not been provided.
But,
in fairness,
the US Mission to the UN did answer an Inner City Press question
about if anti-Gaddafi dipomats Ibrahim Dabbashi and Shalgam are
invited and present at President Obama's dedication of the Mission's
new building. “Shalgam is here,” the Mission has informed Inner
City Press.
Later,
Obama is
headed uptown for a $30,000 a plate Democratic National Commitee
fundraiser at Red Rooster. Inner City Press is told there will be
protests. Watch this site.
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