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oadcast industry are now seeking, including
rules that will determine the future of broadband
and the Internet.”
The scene at the U.N.
I WAS back at the U.N. yesterday, covering the
coverage of the Security Council as it occurred,
watching the many TV crews from all over the
hold their “stake outs” to catch the 20 seconds it
took for Kofi Annan to leave the elevator. There
was chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reporting
on his work plan, when everyone knew that his
moment – and perhaps the U.N.’s moment – has
come and gone, at least for now.
“Europe is on Venus, the U.S. is on Mars, and
the U.N. is over the moon” is how one British
journalist put it to me. Another spoke of the
“buzz” and sense of possibility that existed
months ago, when the arms inspection process
got underway. The U.N. was created to foster
peace. It did not fail so much as it too was
“decapitated” by the world’s No. 1 superpower,
which took its marbles and went home. One
watched with disbelief as various diplomats
talked to themselves and none condemned what
is likely to occur, or the U.S. role.
Ian Williams reported: “Reality intruded,
briefly, in the form of U.N. Secretary General
Kofi Annan, who addressed the Security Council
to remind belligerents of their responsibility for
the protection of civilians. “Without in any way
assuming or diminishing that ultimate responsibility,
we in the United Nations will do whatever
we can to help,” Annan said. The Iraqi Ambassador
sensed the “tragic irony of people talking
about reconstruction aid for a country that they
are in effect, allowing to be blown apart.”
MOBILIZING OPINION
101
J’accuse
THE French Ambassador, the smooth-talking silver-haired
Dominique came out to make nice
with the press. All the U.N. correspondents
started shouting at once, hurling questions his
way. “Do you think the criticisms of France are
unfair?” Duh. Yes, of course, he does, etc., etc. I
caught the eye of a U.N. man picking the questioners.
My hand shot up, and to my surprise, I
was called upon. I asked him what it means for
the U.N. if one nation can make war against the
U.N. Charter. He paused, sidestepped the adversarial
nature of the question, but then expressed,
in most passionate terms, why the U.N. matters.
I thought at that moment of how little coverage
there is of the U.N. in the U.S., except when
Washington is using it or denouncing it.
Why did the U.N. cave?
MANY in the peace movement had put their faith
in the U.N., and its inspection process. But when
the U.S. demanded that the inspectors leave, the
U.N. deferred in a quick second, without any
resistance, even verbal, all in the name of staff
safety. Could it have done more? Jan Oberg of
the TFF in Sweden thought so:
“Thus, it seems that one member issues an
ultimatum recommendation and the U.N. obeys
and leaves the Iraqi people behind to be intimidated,
humiliated, killed, wounded and, in a few
weeks, starve. Article 99 of the U.N. Charter
states that the Secretary-General may bring to
the attention of the Security Council any matter
that in his opinion may threaten the maintenance
of international peace and security.
“Is that not exactly what the U.S. ultimatum did