Looting
of W. Sahara
by Firms from
US, UK
Slammed,
Morocco Ready
for SC Seat?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 6 --
While speeches
in the UN's
Decolonization
committee are
often
predictable,
with Venezuela
calling out
the
United States
on Puerto Rico
and joining
other Latin
and Caribbean
nations on the
Malvinas and
not Falklands
Islands,
rarely are the
"follow the
money" aspects
of occupation
clearly
traced.
But
amid the
speeches on
Western Sahara
on Thursday
afternoon, the
testimony of
Ulysses S.
Smith of the
New York City
Bar stood out.
Smith named
named, saying
that "the
Moroccan state
oil company
ONHYM and
US-based
Kosmos
Energy...
purchased a
30% interest
in the
Boujdour
sub-basis
within Western
Sahara" and
also naming
"Irish
energy firm
San Leon
Energy PLC...
UK-based
Longreach Oil
& Gas
Gvenues" and
"Australia-based
DVM
International"
regarding
Tarfaya in
Western
Sahara.
In
the midst of
this, the
chair cut in
to urge Smith
to read more
slowly to
allow
interpretation.
One wonders
where all this
testimony
goes.
Moroccan
Permanent
Representative
Mohammed
Loulichki
buzzed around
the conference
room and then
was gone.
Seeking a
response to
the NYC Bar
Association
report, Inner
City Press
approached a
senior member
of Morocco's
Mission to the
UN, who we
will leave
nameless. He
was
dismissive,
saying
"they're just
a petitioner,
they can say
what they
want."
Asked again
for a comment
for this
story, none
was provided.
Polisario's
representative
noted that
"Morocco has
requested the
support of
Member States
to win a seat
on the
Security
Council,"
saying "it is
worthy to
remember that
the Polisario
Front and
Morocco are
the two sides
of a conflict
that is on the
Council's
agenda."
Alternative
sales of
Western Sahara
oil & gas,
law not shown
Morocco
claims it
has more than
enough votes
to win the
seat, despite
the African
Union
endorsing
Mauritania, on
October 21.
Speaker after
speaker
Thursday
afternoon
supported the
right to
self-determination
of Western
Sahara.
But
will they
nevertheless
vote Morocco
onto the
Council?
A well placed
diplomat
interviewed by
Inner City
Press on
Thursday
afternoon said
that Morocco's
"arrogance" in
the face of
criticism by
the African
Union,
Caricom,
UNASUR and
others of its
actions in
Western Sahara
is
reminiscent,
to him, of
Israel.
Except,
he noted, the
Israel Mission
to the UN now
with Ron
Prosor comes
and addresses
criticism
directly, on
the record, at
the stakeout.
"Morocco
doesn't," the
diplomat said,
"they count on
France to
carry their
water in the
Security
Council."
The diplomat
ended with a
question:
"Israel
couldn't get
elected to the
Security
Council, but
Morocco
probably will,
whatever the
countries are
saying in the
Fourth
Committee."
One Press
note, before a
footnote: if
Morocco does
get on the
Security
Council, one
hopes their
communication
strategy
becomes more
professional
than it has
been on the
margins of the
Decolonization
Committee and
semi-annual
MINURSO
debates. And
that... has
nothing to do
with
Polisario.
Footnote:
one
of the
strongest
statements
against
Morocco as
"occupying
party" was by
Nigerian
Minister
Augustine
Ugochukwu
Nwosa, who
is often in
the Security
Council,
especially
this month
when
Nigeria's Joy
Ogwu is
President.
Nigeria is
strong on
Western
Sahara,
but has been
quoted it may
abstain on
Palestine's
application
for UN
membership.
What gives?
, 
