At
UN,
Copts
Protest
Killings to Egyptian Mission, No Party Time in Giza
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
14
-- A crowd of Egyptic Christians gathered
Tuesday in front of the UN, and the the Egyptian Mission on 44th
Street, demanding an end to legal and violent targeting in that
country.
Two
representatives
were allowed into the Egyptian Mission
to deliver a “Letter of Demands to Maged Abdelaziz,” the
country's Permanent Representative to the UN (who, UN sources say,
has been seeking a job from and AT the UN).
When
the
UN
Security Council issued a statement condemning attacks on Christians
in Iraq, Inner City Press asked if the Council had discussed the
related situation in Egypt. No, was the answer.
Tuesday
in
Dag
Hammarskjold Park the demonstrators “outside PR” man, Robert
Miller of New Jersey based Kessler Communications told Inner City
Press that his clients absolutely would like the Council to consider
their issues, which include the November 24, 2010 attack on a church
in Giza and what he called “Nuremberg like laws” under which “it
is a crime to build, repair or renovate a church without a special
permit issuedc by the office of the President,” Hosni Mubarek.
An
Egyptian
expert
at the UN told Inner City Press, “those Copts are screwed. No one
will support them, because of Mubarak's relations with the West.
Obama, for example -- he says nothing.”
Cops and Copts by Egption Mission, Dec 14, 2010 (c) MRLee
While
around
the
UN's margin there has been talk of irregularities in the
parliamentary election in Egypt, the UN has made no comment. Meanwhile
on the evening of December 10, the Egyptian Mission hosted
a much talked about holiday party. One wag on Tuesday suggested that
“the Copts should have targeted that.”
* * *
As
UN
and
US
Deal with Gbagbo Diplomats, Protesters Hit Angola Link,
Council in DC
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
13
-- As in Abidjan Laurent Gbagbo's soldiers had a
stand off with UN peacekeeping troops, across from the UN in New York
a group of protesters Monday morning demanded that the UN do more to
ensure Gbagbo leaves power.
The
UN
Security
Council members were out of town, down in Washington with US
Ambassador Susan Rice. But Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was at UN
Headquarters, and was the target of a letter from the demonstrators.
They
called
for
the full recognition of Alassane Ouattara as the winner of the
delayed Ivorian election, and said that “Gbagbo has the lone
support of Angola.”
“They
have
their
families
and their money there,” a protest leader told Inner City
Press, predicting that in the best case scenario, Gbagbo will go into
exile in Angola. Interestingly, Angola's co member of the Lusophone
group Portugal is joining the Security Council on January 1.
Human
rights
rogue
and Lusophone wannabe Equatorial Guinea is also in touch with
Gbagbo, as is Benin reportedly.
Anti-Gbagbo protesters at UN Dec 13, UNSC and Gbagbo
dips not shown (c) MRLee
Inner
City
Press on
December 9 asked
Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if the UN is still dealing
with Gbagbo's diplomats:
Inner
City
Press:
after
you read out the Security
Council’s statement
yesterday supporting ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African
States], which recognized Mr. Ouattara as the new President of
Côte
d'Ivoire; I just wondered, what does this mean toward, for the UN
treatment of the existing Côte d'Ivoire diplomats who were
appointed
by no longer President, apparently in the international view,
[Laurent] Gbagbo? Are they still, what’s the process, I guess? Do
they continue to be viewed by the United Nations as the legitimate
representatives of Côte d'Ivoire? The former Ambassador here is
now
the Foreign Minister under Gbagbo. So, I just wondered.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I
think
there is a set process; there is a Credentials
Committee that handles these matters. And I think that that’s the
route — speaking in general terms, not about this specific case.
Okay, thank you very much, everyone.
Even
asked
again
on Monday about the UN's dealings with Gbagbo's diplomats, Ban's
spokesman Nesirky dodged the question.
At
US
Ambassador
Susan Rice's
holiday reception on December 9, the acting Permanent Representative
of Gbagbo's regime was present. Inner City Press asked Ambassador
Rice about it, and she said he wasn't “on the dark side.” So
could he represent Ouattara? Watch this site.
, 
