Amid
Saudi
Withdrawal
Mystery,
Kuwait as
Replacement,
HRC in
Doubt?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 18 --
The UN is
abuzz with the
question,
why did
Saudi Arabia
run for a
Security
Council seat
only to this
morning
decline it?
And, this
being the UN,
the question
of which
country
would replace
them.
From
well-placed
Arab
Group sources
comes the name:
Kuwait. These
sources, when
Inner City
Press asked of
the
possibility
that Saudi
Arabia
will find a
way to reverse
its reversal
said no.
"This
is what
happens when a
country is run
by one
family," one
observer put
it, likening
it to a
decision made
in Pyongyang.
Given
the way Saudi
Arabia's
Permanent
Representative
spoke at the
UNTV
stakeout after
his country's
election
yesterday,
either he
didn't
know or he
deserves an
Academy Award
for acting.
The
Saudi mission
has been
getting
training for
this seat for
some time.
And now, not.
One
of his
staffers is
re-tweeting
the stories of
Saudi Arabia's
rejection of
the seat, and
expressing
pride.
What
will happen
with Saudi
Arabia's
candidacy for
the Human
Rights
Council? In
the future,
how can their
candidacies be
taken
seriously?
At least,
debate should
be required,
at which the
question can
be
asked: are you
serious?
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
if there are
any rules on
the gifts
given in the
General
Assembly for
votes, as
Saudi Arabia
did. He said
to ask the
office of the
President of the
General
Assembly,
which now
tells Inner
City Press
there is no
cap, no procedure,
this is not
under the
scope of any
GA rule so
gifts of any
size can be
given.
Ah, the UN.
Watch this
site.
, 
