On
Syria, Brazil
Denies Claim
Its Vote
Determined by
Russia's,
Draft To Get
Weaker?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 6 --
In the wake of
the defeat of
the European
draft
Syria
resolution in
the UN
Security
Council on
October 4, a
blame and
shame game has
begun.
A
self-described
senior Western
diplomat tells
the Press that
there were
"signals"
that Brazil
and even India
and South
Africa
(together,
"IBSA")
would vote yes
on the
resolution if
Russia
abstained. But
when
Russia cast a
veto, joined
in this by
China, not
only Lebanon
but all
three IBSA
countries
abstained.
Inner
City Press
asked Brazil's
Permanent
Representative
Maria Luiza
Ribeiro Viotti
about what the
senior Western
diplomat had
said.
She disagreed,
saying while
Brazil
coordinated
with its IBSA
partners India
and
South Africa,
it is proud of
its
independent
foreign
policy, which
is
not "made in
Moscow."
Another
Permanent
Representative
said that the
Europeans had
misread the
situation and
statements of
IBSA and China
and Russia,
from which it
was understood
as much as two
days before
the vote that
two vetoes
were
inevitable.
A
well placed
diplomat from
one of the
Council
members not
voting yes
laughed to
Inner City
Press that the
Europeans made
a serious
error watering
down the draft
so much before
it was voted
down.
"Now if they
come back,
this weak
draft will be
the starting
place and it
can only
get weaker,"
the diplomat
said with the
smile.
In
this context,
the
responsibility
also lies with
the European,
particularly
those
which actively
went beyond
Libya
Resolution
1973 by
air-dropping
in
weapons
despite the
arms embargo
for example,
and those who
did
nothing to
stop these
violations.
Amb of Brazil,
India in
front, Churkin
behind,
misread by
West
Despite
protestations,
including US
Ambassador
Susan Rice's
statement that
"this is not
about Libya,"
multiple
interviews
with IBSA
representatives
leads to the
conclusion
that it is, in
significant
part, "about
Libya" and the
way Resolution
1973 was
implemented.
This will
continue to
reverberate.
A
well placed
Permanent
Representative
scoffed to
Inner City
Press about
other media
spreading
"rumors" such
as that
"Vitaly
[Churkin] is a
nice guy and
wouldn't have
vetoed, but
Moscow order
it" -- duh --
and that "Mark
[Lyall Grant]
walked out
like Susan did
- the rest of
his delegation
remained, so
that was no
walk out." And
so it goes at
the UN.
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