Marco's Mumblings

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Yep. Annoying yet predictable….

When ever I think things couldn’t get any more hypocritical with the United Nations, I am knocked back down like a boxer on their last legs in the 12th round.

Today the UN tried to pass a bill that was a resolution at the UN Security Council condemning Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories as an obstacle to peace.

The US used its Veto Power and blocked it. All 14 other members of the Security Council backed the resolution, which had been endorsed by the Palestine Liberation Organization.

This isn’t the first time that a resolution condemning Israel has come up at the UN. So why am I so bothered about this one???

Well please indulge me in my frustration as I go through why I want to put a fist through my MAC.

While members of UN security council are meeting for hours on end finely tuning their words of condemnation against Israel, not one resoultion that I can see, has come from the UN regarding any of the upheaval in other Middle Eastern countries.

Lets take a look back from today to about 3 weeks ago and see what has been going on outside Israel.

LIBYA
Tens of thousands of Libyans took to the streets today to air their discontent with four decades of Moammar Gadhafi, the longest-ruling non-royalty head of state in the world, witnesses said. At least 20 people were killed and 200 were injured in the northern Mediterranean city of Benghazi, Libya’s second largest, said a medical source in Benghazi, who was not identified for security reasons.

BAHRAIN
Four people were killed in the center of Bahrain’s capital today, where shots were fired after demonstrators gathered, an ambulance worker in Manama told CNN. The new protests came a day after a violent police and military crackdown left four dead and scores wounded. What seemed like thousands of people — some chanting anti-government slogans — marched in the town of Sitra to attend the funerals of three of the four people killed Thursday. Two other people died during disturbances earlier in the week.

YEMEN
At least one person was killed when an assailant hurled a grenade today into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Taiz, Yemen, on Friday, a police official told CNN. Another 43 people were wounded. Pro-government gangs, meanwhile, clashed with anti-government demonstrators in the capital city of Sanaa, throwing rocks and brandishing sticks. Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets of Sanaa after Friday’s midday prayers, ushering in a second week of unrest to the Middle Eastern nation.

The U.S. embassy also issued a statement voicing concern for what it called “a disturbing rise in the number and violence of attacks against Yemeni citizens gathering peacefully to express their views on the current political situation.” Meanwhile, the death toll from last Thursday’s violence grew to four, government and hospital officials said.

IRAN
Thousands of people who attended a pro-government rally in Tehran today condemned opposition leaders and called for their execution, a witness said. Earlier this week, tens of thousands of pro- and anti-government protesters marched in downtown Tehran amid a crackdown. Two young men were killed this week. The government blamed its opponents in the deaths, but activists have dismissed those claims as government propaganda. An anti-government demonstration Monday was the largest such rally since 2009, when a series of anti-government demonstrations convulsed the country. Iranian authorities sought to restrict coverage of the protests this week by international media.

EGYPT
Complaints about police corruption and abuses were among the top grievances of demonstrators who forced Mubarak from office last week. Demonstrators were also angry about Mubarak’s 30-year rule, a lack of free elections and many economic issues, including high food prices, low wages and high unemployment. Some protesters were killed during Egypt’s 18 days of uprising.

JORDAN
About 200 people calling for reforms clashed with pro-government demonstrators in downtown Amman on Friday.

KUWAIT
More than 1,000 protesters clashed with security forces in Kuwait Friday. the crowd — initially 300 people before quickly growing — was attacked with water cannons. A Kuwaiti government spokesman later claimed that the security forces were trying to protect themselves after the protesters started hurling rocks.

DJIBOUTI
Thousands of people marched in protest through Djibouti on Friday. riot police charged the crowd after the call to evening prayers, shooting canisters of tear gas at the demonstrators, according to Aly Verjee, director of the international election observation mission to Djibouti, who witnessed the event. jibouti is home to Camp Lemonnier, the only U.S. military base on the African continent.

ALGERIA
Protesters have demanded government reform, prompting authorities to say they will soon lift a state of emergency that was imposed in 1992 to quell a civil war that led to the deaths of more than 150,000. The rule was used to clamp down on Islamist groups, but critics say the insurgency has long since diminished and the law exists only to muzzle government critics.
Roots of unrest:

SUDAN
Demonstrators have clashed with authorities on several recent occasions in Sudan. Human Rights Watch has said that “authorities used excessive force during largely peaceful protests on January 30 and 31 in Khartoum and other northern cities.” Witnesses said that several people were arrested, including 20 who remain missing.
Roots of unrest:

SYRIA
As protests heated up around the region, the Syrian government pulled back from a plan to withdraw some subsidies that keep the cost of living down in the country.
Opponents of the al-Assad government claim massive human rights abuses and an emergency law has been in effect since 1963.

(A lot of this information was taken from CNN)

Was there one resolution condemning the recent violence in Egypt? If my memory serves me correctly it took the UN one week to meet and have a meeting to discuss the uprising. ONE WEEK? Was there something issued talking about the freedom of people in all countries to civicly voice their right to protest and call for democracy?

Something happens in Israel and the UN leadership is in front of the cameras of the worlds media hours later, condemning Israel passing resolutions.

And on a day (Today) that saw 20 Libyans killed trying to bring democracy to Libya, the UN chose to try and pass a resolution and condemn Israel.

I guess strongly worded statements from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will have to do. Hot air if you ask me.

The UN should be ashamed to call itself an organization that promotes peace in the world.

But hey what do I expect from people that care more about being reelected and keeping themselves in their nice apartments in NY than standing up for the little guy.

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