Annan criticizes U.S. in farewell speech
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/...well&printer=1
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his farewell address, criticized the Bush administration, warning that America must not sacrifice its Democratic ideals while waging war against terrorism.
In remarks prepared for delivery Monday at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, Annan also said the Security Council should be expanded.
"Human rights and the rule of law are vital to global security and prosperity," Annan's text said. When the U.S. "appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused," he said.
Annan, who leaves the United Nations on Dec. 31 after 10 years as secretary-general, has become an increasingly vocal critic of the war in Iraq.
He said in the text that the U.S. has a special responsibility to the world because it continues to have extraordinary power.
Annan summed up five principles that he considers essential: collective responsibility, global solidarity, rule of law, mutual accountability and multilateralism.
He chose the Truman museum for his final major speech in part because it is dedicated to a president who was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations. His text repeatedly praised the Truman administration but never mentioned Bush by name.
"As President Truman said, 'The responsibility of the great states is to serve and not dominate the peoples of the world,'" Annan said.
"He believed strongly that henceforth security must be collective and indivisible. That was why, for instance, that he insisted when faced with aggression by North Korea against the South in 1950, on bringing the issue to the United Nations," Annan said.
"Against such threats as these, no nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over all others."
Annan also called for a reform of the Security Council, saying its membership "still reflects the reality of 1945." He suggested adding new members to represent parts of the world with less of a voice.
He said the permanent members, the world powers, "must accept the special responsibility that comes with their privilege.'
"The Security Council is not just another stage on which to act out national interests," he said in another jab at Bush.
Annan has a had a strained relationship with the administration and with outgoing U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.
He was criticized by some in the administration and in Iraq after saying earlier this month that the level of violence in Iraq is much worse than that of Lebanon's civil war and that some Iraqis believe their lives were better under Saddam Hussein.
He also has urged the international community to help rebuild Iraq, saying he was not sure Iraq could accomplish it alone.
Bolton also is leaving this month. He resigned in the wake of the November elections, which gave Democrats control over the next Congress, making his Senate confirmation unlikely.
After a private dinner Tuesday night at the White House for Annan, Bolton joked that "nobody sang 'Kumbaya.'"
Told at the time of Bolton's comment, Annan laughed and asked: "But does he know how to sing it?"
Originally Posted by annihilation
Thats why he and his cronies are trying to force international law on us?
Thats why they were trying to come up with a resolution to take away our firearms, but, were slowed down when people found out and couldn't come up with a way to spin it?
Where's KOJO?
Why isn't KOJO in the media nuce?
How about them Sudanese Kofi?"Human rights and the rule of law are vital to global security and prosperity,"
**** Kofi and the UN!He hasn't done a bit of good nor did the previous SecGen Boutros-Gali.The UN is just a place to get rich off the tragedies of the unfortunate...
umm.. you subjected yourself to international law when coming up with the UN? Thatīs the whole idea..Thats why he and his cronies are trying to force international law on us?
Ohh your precious gunsThats why they were trying to come up with a resolution to take away our firearms, but, were slowed down when people found out and couldn't come up with a way to spin it?
Surely the actions against illegal arms trafficking to make it harder for rebels and dictators to arm themselves would have greatly impacted your legal gun ownership.
Why doesnīt GWB talk about his Alcohol and Drugs problems all the time? Why didnīt Bill Clinton brag about how he shagged them interns?Where's KOJO?
Why isn't KOJO in the media nuce?
Because it is not relevant for the matter.
The Secretary General does not get to rule the world unfortunately. He is the poster figure of a giant Kindergarten.How about them Sudanese Kofi?
He does not have any power. What should he do? The best thing he can do is send an angry letter.**** Kofi and the UN!He hasn't done a bit of good nor did the previous SecGen Boutros-Gali
UN Problems must be blamed on the states that refuse to solve them and not the person of the secretary general.
Well that was Kofi. He tried but could not do any more. Welcome to international relations.
me thinks tsuri smoked pot!
If only it were that simple, it would good if it would impatc the thousands in Rwanda but it wouldn't have.Ohh your precious guns
Surely the actions against illegal arms trafficking to make it harder for rebels and dictators to arm themselves would have greatly impacted your legal gun ownership.
The whole firearm treaty (IMHO) was pushed by George Soros and IANSA, and while it may look good on paper will not do a darn thing to stop violence around the World!
Course, we've already been over the topic of the UN trying to take people's guns, haven't we Geezah?
Nobody gives a **** what Kofi Annan says.
Are you asking me or telling me?
Now when it's clear what Kofi thinks, I think we should hear what Jack Daniels has to say.
Hmm.. now that's a good question... I suppose it's more like telling you in the form of a question, or better yet, informing others while replying to you.
If you wish to inform others, why not supply a link, that would work a whole lot better than you trying your hand at playing the......
Ok Batman,
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...ad.php?t=84689
The united nations would work like intendet if all countries would follow the rules which they accepted as they joined the un and if they would understand that the un is a forum for all and not only for the mightiest members. and with saying this i donīt mean only the united states but also the rest of the western world. they only take action if their money is in danger (for example darfur, a place where you cant find oil), but also they donīt keep what they promised. itīs a shame that so many countries spend billions on their armed forces but if the sc wants a mission to be carried out, everything is packed on the back of small third world countries again. the un does - at least sometimes - a good job by coordinating development aid or to relief the dammage after disasters, and i donīt want to know how the world would look like without the organization - but nothing more, unfortunately. the un was founded just after a terrible war which led to the fact that the will to end conflicts peacefully and generally to unite under one flag was very much stronger than nowadays, where the most countries are more or less on the same level there. reforms are more than necessary and should be introduced as soon as possible if the members of the un donīt want to reduce the organization to nothing more than a development aid fund.
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