J-10
12-09-2004, 08:19 PM
US gives UN's Annan key vote of confidence
Thu, Dec 09, 2004
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United States said it was not trying to oust Secretary General Kofi Annan, giving the UN chief a crucial vote of confidence amid calls for Annan's resignation by some US politicians.
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041210/thumb.sge.nix84.101204000348.photo00.photo.default-248x355.jpgThe US ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, said that the United States was not trying to push out embattled UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.(AFP/***** Images/Mario Tama)
John Danforth, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said he wanted to clear up how his earlier remarks -- which had been non-committal about Annan's future -- had been interpreted.
"We are not suggesting the resignation or pushing for the resignation of the secretary general," he said.
"No one, to my knowledge, has cast doubt on the personal integrity of the secretary general. No one. And we certainly don't," Danforth said.
But he reiterated US concern over the outcome of an enquiry into alleged corruption in the UN's administration of the oil-for-food programme under Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
"We are expressing confidence in the secretary general and in his continuing in office -- and also saying that the investigation is critically important," he said. "There is a cloud over the United Nations. There's no doubt about it."
While nations around the globe had rushed to back the embattled Annan, both Danforth and US President George W. Bush had refrained from giving a full show of support to the UN chief.
The United Nations has been buffeted by a string of internal scandals and several US politicians have called for Annan's head over oil-for-food, which is being investigated by a UN-appointed panel and by the US Congress.
US Senator Norm Coleman, who is leading a congressional probe, called for Annan to step down and said he had evidence that Benon Sevan, the UN official who ran the now-defunct programme, had received payoffs from Saddam's regime.
That call was echoed by four other conservative US lawmakers on Monday, but on Thursday, 21 liberal lawmakers threw their support behind the UN chief in an open letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell.
There has been no indication that Annan profited but the UN chief admitted there was a "perception problem" after it emerged his son Kojo kept receiving payments until February from a Swiss firm working under the programme.
Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard has shrugged off calls in the US media for the secretary general's resignation, saying that no member states in the 191-nation world body had made any such statement.
Diplomats on Wednesday gave Annan a rousing standing ovation at the UN General Assembly in what was scene as another strong show of support for Annan, whose term expires at the end of 2006.
Danforth, who has announced he will step down from the post before Bush's second term begins on January 20, said he was "probably not good enough at recognising" how his remarks had been interpreted.
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041210/wl_afp/usunannan_041210000354)
Thu, Dec 09, 2004
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The United States said it was not trying to oust Secretary General Kofi Annan, giving the UN chief a crucial vote of confidence amid calls for Annan's resignation by some US politicians.
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041210/thumb.sge.nix84.101204000348.photo00.photo.default-248x355.jpgThe US ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, said that the United States was not trying to push out embattled UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.(AFP/***** Images/Mario Tama)
John Danforth, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said he wanted to clear up how his earlier remarks -- which had been non-committal about Annan's future -- had been interpreted.
"We are not suggesting the resignation or pushing for the resignation of the secretary general," he said.
"No one, to my knowledge, has cast doubt on the personal integrity of the secretary general. No one. And we certainly don't," Danforth said.
But he reiterated US concern over the outcome of an enquiry into alleged corruption in the UN's administration of the oil-for-food programme under Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
"We are expressing confidence in the secretary general and in his continuing in office -- and also saying that the investigation is critically important," he said. "There is a cloud over the United Nations. There's no doubt about it."
While nations around the globe had rushed to back the embattled Annan, both Danforth and US President George W. Bush had refrained from giving a full show of support to the UN chief.
The United Nations has been buffeted by a string of internal scandals and several US politicians have called for Annan's head over oil-for-food, which is being investigated by a UN-appointed panel and by the US Congress.
US Senator Norm Coleman, who is leading a congressional probe, called for Annan to step down and said he had evidence that Benon Sevan, the UN official who ran the now-defunct programme, had received payoffs from Saddam's regime.
That call was echoed by four other conservative US lawmakers on Monday, but on Thursday, 21 liberal lawmakers threw their support behind the UN chief in an open letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell.
There has been no indication that Annan profited but the UN chief admitted there was a "perception problem" after it emerged his son Kojo kept receiving payments until February from a Swiss firm working under the programme.
Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard has shrugged off calls in the US media for the secretary general's resignation, saying that no member states in the 191-nation world body had made any such statement.
Diplomats on Wednesday gave Annan a rousing standing ovation at the UN General Assembly in what was scene as another strong show of support for Annan, whose term expires at the end of 2006.
Danforth, who has announced he will step down from the post before Bush's second term begins on January 20, said he was "probably not good enough at recognising" how his remarks had been interpreted.
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041210/wl_afp/usunannan_041210000354)