Good Riddance: Annan to leave envoy post

So Mr Annan will not renew his mandate on Syria that will expire at the end of the month. According to the BBC "In a news conference, he said the Syrian people "desperately need action" but criticised the UN Security Council for "finger-pointing and name-calling".

Great discovery. It took him six months to discover this, more than three and a half month to realize that his peace plan had not materialized (due mid-April) and would never materialize.

The regrets about his leaving by Putin (sic), that useless UN SG Ban Ki Moon, the Syrian foreign minister, UN Russian and American ambassadors mean nothing since these people are the most guilty for the situation in Syria.

Staying in his post for so long gave the opportunity to the Syrian regime to increase repression, killing more civilians, ignoring the aspirations of the Syrian people to end a 41 year family regime. The stupidity of the UN observers' mission to Syria, 300 people for 185,000 km2 (one per 600km2!) was another window dressing exercise that simply enabled Assad to increase repression. Not to talk about the risible EU sanctions towards Syria and the main representatives of its regime.

Annan should have resigned long ago, should have opposed the observers' mission, and, for a change should have had some dignity.

No wonder the Syrian people did not regret his departure, they who fight dictatorship and die for their freedom.

When Annan was appointed special envoy, I jumped but kept silent since miracles happen. I had no illusion but decided to wait and see. And what I expected happened, Annan acted as a diplomat, "brilliant diplomat and honest man" said Putin. This is enough to say that Annan, as usual, took good care of his image and reputation but failed in his mission.

I have known him since the mid-seventies and, apart once, I was never impressed by him. The one time was when he went to Iraq to prevent US bombing. We thought that he had succeeded and we, UN staff, greeted his (and his suave wife) in New York upon his return from Bagdad. But it did not work for long ...just gave more time to the US to prepare the war.

I will never forget that he had undermined the authority of the UN by letting many countries infiltrate so called gratis personnelf (all from their intelligence) in his department of peace keeping operations just not to refuse more mandates when he knew he did not have the resources to fulfil them; nor that he had sold that Department to France, a permanent member of the Security Council, to be elected UN SG in 1996; nor the fact that in spite of his statement that he would not seek re-election, he gladly "accepted" a second term; nor the way he dumped, literally, his very long standing assistant and advisor, E. L. for placing someone useful to his re-election in his cabinet; nor how he dumped a long standing high level official who had served him in difficult situation, B.S., for alleged corruption in the Oil for Food program ( 35 million dollars expenditures by the Volker Commission to find out that someone had not well justified 150,000$ income).

A too good diplomat to be efficient. Very successful since he kept a good reputation selling his soul to the main powers. A disaster for the UN, his ten year tenure was a good base for the current useless successor who continues in the mission to destroy what good is left of the UN.

Putin, Lavrov, Hu Jintao, Assad and Kofi Annan have the direct responsibility for the blood of the tens of thousands civilians and soldiers who fight the Syrian dictator. But the Arab leaders, France and the UK and USA are not less guilty.

Kofi Annan gave an opportunity to Russia, China and Assad to hide their cruelty and disregard for freedom behind his diplomacy. Let us hope that his belated departure will bring real change.

Ban Ki Moon - Go to Syria

So, the clown Ban Ki Moon, the puppet in the hands of Moscow and Bejing, following the example of his predecessors who allowed exterminations of civilians in Rwanda, Congo, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Cambodia and Liberia, is too busy carrying the Olympic Flame in London  among idiotic people applauding instead of going to Damascus and Alep to stop carnage.

Time to go home, with your stupid smile and your inept immer circle, Mr. Ban Ki Moon. You are ba ar the wprst UNSG we ever had.

And hopefully one day we will know how mych such mascarade did cost to the poor UN finances.

PANIC AT PUTIN'S CITY

how could you define otherwise the sometimes ridiculous ways his regime is using to prevent people to attend rallies against the power in place?

Extraordinary Math exams, compulsory of course, were organized on 24 December, in the afternoon to prevent the high school students to attend the protest mass rallies scheduled for that afternoon.

The same had been done on the occasion of the prior opposition mass rallies.

Even more idiotic, the Head of Public Health, a certain Guennadi Onitchenko, advised the Russians that attending mass rallies increases the risks of getting viral infections of even respiratory diseases…..

Putin’s spokesperson can well state that he still has the majority of the population supporting him. And Medvedev can state that they will make reforms. Where have they been all these years Putin and Medvedev? It sounds like Mubarak and Ben Ali just before their fall. The end is in view, may-be not as soon as March but soon.

The problem is that nobody can foresee what will happen then. A new October Revolution in view, but just as a reaction without any ideology. Except that of making a lot of money fast….

Picture: http://www.deccanchronicle.com

Will get him too !

We got Mubarak, and Kaddafi, and Ben Ali. And Berlusconi. Soon will get Assad and Sarkozy. It will take a bit longer, and we will get also Berlusconi's best friend (together with Kaddafi) Vladimir.

In spite of his filling ballot boxes with prefilled ballots and making all sort of pressure on people, Putin managed to lose 15% of votes. What a great man, in power with tricks. But what would you expect more from a former KGB chief? He is no better than many Third World leaders who stay in power with fraud.

We will get him, and again the world will be better off. And BRAVO to the Russians who in spite of everything succeeded in showing to the world that Putin is NOT their leader.

Picture: None/Getty Images Europe

BERLUSCONI HAS A DREAM

Although this is to be verified, Berlusconi always claims that he has 65% support in Italy, the “best” in the world. However…..at the last regional elections he got less than 30% of votes and his party less than 40%.....

But yesterday, M. Ben Ali of Tunisia was re-elected for the fifth time with 89.62 of votes. And at the last municipal elections, held on 11 October, Putin’s party got 66%of the votes. Massive fraud in both cases, but what counts is the result.

This may be in fact the reason why Berlusconi flew to visit his friend Putin (a great democrat, as defined by Berlusconi himself) to prepare for the elections to be held next year in Italy: just to learn how to cheat (for TV coverage and control they are already equal…)

As mentioned before, according to Berlusconi Italy is the country with the largest press freedom in the world. A pity that in spite of that, there are still newspapers who criticize him. Why so ?

Indeed, while discussing with Putin about how to better organise elections, he may have got also some advise as to how to improve the “press freedom” so that there is no criticism any longer in the press.

And possibly, his next official trip will be to Morocco. There, the newspaper Akbar Al Ayoum , the third paper in Arabic in terms of sales, is closed since two months for publishing a cartoon showing the Moroccan flag beyond the portrait of a King’s cousin. The reason ? offense to the flag (possible imprisonment of 3 to 5 year….). And a request for a consistent amount of money by the King’s cousin, typical way of killing newspapers (Berlusconi is a master in this). And the Director of the daily Al Michaal was condemned to a one year imprisonment for publishing information, made available by the royal palace, about the health status of the king. Finally, two days ago, Le Monde was seized and not distributed for a cartoon and an article relating the trial of the Akbar Al Ayoum newspaper. The reason : “systematic attacks to the national symbols, under cover of freedom of expression, will never be tolerated”, as stated by a high rank dignitary.

True that Morocco is not alone: on 21 October, the Le Monde’s journalist Florence Beaugé was prevented from entering Tunisia to cover the elections….

Berlusconi dreams when reading such news….how the hell these little guys in a developing country manage it while he, the great leader of a powerful country cannot ? Something must be done before the next elections.



Cartoon: http://www.cartoonboeken.nl/lid/jean/berlusconi.jpg

Gay and homeless: every country has its internal enemy

Last week we saw how the power deals with defenceless minorities :

In India, New Delhi’s beggars are arrested and condemned to one year imprisonment far from the city. The millions of foreign visitors expected next year should not see the reality but only dream at India’s progress;

In Paris, armed police forces violently displaced homeless people living in tents on the Seine river: how could Sarkozy who promised to get growth with his teeth if necessary, allow all foreign tourists and, even worse, the French people, realize that the growth is not there and thatFrance entered officially in a recession phase ?

In Moscow, heavily armed police forces hit and arrested gays demonstrating on the International day against homophobia for their rights while Orthodox Christians were demonstrating against those sinners. How could Putin, who is often seen showing his mussels, allow a handful of people attempt to undermine the Russians’ morale ? The Nazis were right in executing them !

Three sad cases of violence by those who have the power and do not accept that people may be different or poor. We are only one step from dictatorships (but in Russia we have been there for long time already). Intolerance gets globalised too.


Photos: www.daylife.com/photo/0eswd7L91TfAH ; www.rferl.org/content/Article/1076484.html

Sudan and democratic countries

Photo : Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir


So, the Arab League condemned the indictment of Bashir of Sudan. But what is the Arab League ? 22 countries as follows : Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen, Lybia, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrein, Mauritania, Somalia, PLO, Djibuti, Comoros. Out of them, only Djibouti is member of the International Criminal Court.

Try to find a democratic country among them....Lebanon may-be.

So what a surprise that they defend Bashir, one of them.

Then the Afican Union, also potested: only 30 African countries out of 50 are members of the ICC. And too many presidents are life presidents. Few African countries have real democracy. So the African Union had to defend Bashir: who knows who may be the next ? likely an African "leader"but which one ? They complain that the ICC is targeting Africa. Apart from the fact that this is not true, why not ? The African contient is the one with the largest numbers of dictators....and fake democracies.

Icing on the cake, China called the UN Security Council to suspend the ICC indictment. Russia in not against this initiative. But the US, strong opposers of the ICC, suddeenly support it.... Worth recalling that neither China, nor the US nor Russia are members of the ICC, but permanent members of the Security Council. As stated some months agon on this blog, what credibility can have the UN with such a Security Council, one of the last leftovers of the second world war.

China is well known for its democracy: and its need of oil is their way to measure civil rights. Support Tibet and you are an imperialist. Support the ICC and you are an imperialist anti-democratic and possibly racist.

I do not know what is more shameful: the Arab League, the African Union, China. But it is clear, if anybody had any doubt, that none of them has any moral credibility and that ,member states of the AU or AL who have not opposed the statements of their associations,do not deserve any consideration as civilized countries.

One should not forget it when the Durban 2 conference will meet in Geneva.

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_al-Bashir

International Criminal Court (ICC)

A few hours ago the ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudan’s president Bashir. This is good news. It was long overdue, as it is overdue for many other presidents starting from Mugabe. One wonders why such a warrant was not issued for GW for Iraq, for Putin for Thectchnia or Livni for Palestine.

This however does not diminish the value of such a step.

And it is interesting to see the first reactions as of now :

- the African Union, that just elected Gaddafi as its leader wondered why the ICC seem (tot hem !) to apply its rules to Africans only. Apart from the fact that they seem to ignore the recent trials for former Yugoslavia, which, to our understanding, is not in Africa, they miss the point: a criminal is a criminal, wherever he is. The AU’s reaction is simply shameful.
- Russia, Ethiopia and Egypt, well known for their democratic policies, have criticized the indictment.
- the USA, that does not recognize the ICC, started defending it (but would never accept US nationals indicted by that court !)

What is going to be most interesting is that the ICC will send a request for assistance to the UN Security Council. And there, three of the five permanent members, the USA, Russia and China, do not recognize the ICC.

Finally, indeed the AU is right in its complaints : the ICC should have also indicted the Chinese authorities who have been supporting Sudan in spite of the genocide in Darfour and who, through their support, for oil interests, just facilitated the mass killings.

Of course the African “leaders” are concerned: they can be the next target. And rightly so. In a recent article in La Repubblica, it was shown that 40% of the life presidents are Africans. And we know how they made it. Let us hope that this indictment will start a cleaning process of African “leaders”: it is time. And we should all keep note of those African, and non African, leaders such as the Russian President Medvedev, who will support Bashir .They should be the next to be indicted.

These are the first remarks immediately after the news of the indictment. I will probably come back on this later in the week.


Photo : sudanwatch.blogspot.com