Before
Obama
Meets Israel
&
Palestine,
Vote Doubts
from Bosnia,
Not
China
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 20
-- Even before
US President
Obama meets
with
Israel's
Netanyahu and
Palestine's
Abbas on
September 21,
UN Security
Council
diplomats were
offering
differing
counts of how
many votes
the
Palestinians
would have in
the Council
for full UN
membership.
From
the lowest
count of six
(including
Lebanon,
Russia, South
Africa, India,
Nigeria
and, Inner
City Press had
confirmed,
China) to
higher counts
including
Bosnia and
Gabon and
perhaps
others, the
goal was to
see if
the US would
even have to
cast a veto.
A
Chinese
diplomat,
polled by
Inner City
Press, said
that his
country would
have to vote
with
Palestine,
given what
they've said
in the past.
Gabon has
expressed
doubts; the
non-Serbian
part of Bosnia
is said to
want to vote
yes, with the
hold out Serb
part saying no
(some allege
money as well
as anti-Muslim
sentiment).
Late
on Tuesday, a
self-described
US Senior
State
Department
Official told
the press
that Hillary
Clinton was
supposed to
meet with
South Africa
and
Nigeria, but
one of the two
had been
canceled due
to time. This
implies the US
thinks the two
are still in
play -- and
Gabon "in
the bag."
There
are
countries on
the Security
Council which
would vote no
or abstain
there, but
vote yes in
the General
Assembly. The
EU has been
unable
to build
consensus.
Perhaps
indicative of
why, Inner
City Press on
Tuesday
witnessed the
EU's Catherine
Ashton and her
entourage grab
a
set of chairs
in the North
Lawn building.
When
a woman
diplomat stood
up and
approached,
Ashton shook
her head, no.
Then she
asked a person
next to her,
"Who is that?"
Why say no if
you don't
know? Watch
this site.
, 
in