Suitably Flip

There Goes the Neighborhood

As I live but a block from United Nations Plaza, I think I'm going to need to burrow deep underground before this crazy train rolls into town.

Diplomats at the United Nations were sent into disarray yesterday when President Ahmadinejad of Iran declared that he intended to attend the General Assembly of the world body on September 19 and to debate his country's nuclear program with President Bush, who is due to address the Assembly that day.

However, it was far from clear whether the Iranian president was serious in his suggestion or whether he was merely tweaking the nose of his American opponents.

That silly nose-tweaker.

The speculation, however, was enough to prompt sharp questions from reporters to the press spokesman of Secretary-General Annan about whether a precedent existed for America denying a visa to a president visiting the General Assembly. The spokesman replied that he knew of no such precedent.

Well... in 1988, Secretary of State George Shultz denied a visa to Yasser Arafat, who was attempting to address the U.N. General Assembly.  This was just a week or so after the Palestinian National Council proclaimed independence.

Somewhat different, yes.  Ahmadinejad's state is after all a full privileged U.N. member.  But Palestine was a debating, observing, non-voting member at the time.  So I don't think I'd go so far as to say the move would be unprecedented.

Shultz's reasoning at the time:

..that Arafat, as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was an "accessory" to terrorism and consequently barred under American law from entering the U.S.

Hmm... precedenteder and precedenteder.

The U.S. was deplored (surprise!) by the U.N. for the move in 1988, but then again, this is our soil.  If another country wants to start picking up the lion's share of the bill for this toothless, corrupt relic, it can play host and welcome any nuke-crazed madmen with genocidal tendencies it sees fit.

In the meantime, for my money, the ball is in Condi's court.  I won't lose any sleep if Dr. Rice chooses to keep Mad Mahmoud and his Members Only wardrobe out of the country and off my street.

More at Hot Air.

Comments

There Goes the Neighborhood

As I live but a block from United Nations Plaza, I think I'm going to need to burrow deep underground before this crazy train rolls into town.

Diplomats at the United Nations were sent into disarray yesterday when President Ahmadinejad of Iran declared that he intended to attend the General Assembly of the world body on September 19 and to debate his country's nuclear program with President Bush, who is due to address the Assembly that day.

However, it was far from clear whether the Iranian president was serious in his suggestion or whether he was merely tweaking the nose of his American opponents.

That silly nose-tweaker.

The speculation, however, was enough to prompt sharp questions from reporters to the press spokesman of Secretary-General Annan about whether a precedent existed for America denying a visa to a president visiting the General Assembly. The spokesman replied that he knew of no such precedent.

Well... in 1988, Secretary of State George Shultz denied a visa to Yasser Arafat, who was attempting to address the U.N. General Assembly.  This was just a week or so after the Palestinian National Council proclaimed independence.

Somewhat different, yes.  Ahmadinejad's state is after all a full privileged U.N. member.  But Palestine was a debating, observing, non-voting member at the time.  So I don't think I'd go so far as to say the move would be unprecedented.

Shultz's reasoning at the time:

..that Arafat, as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was an "accessory" to terrorism and consequently barred under American law from entering the U.S.

Hmm... precedenteder and precedenteder.

The U.S. was deplored (surprise!) by the U.N. for the move in 1988, but then again, this is our soil.  If another country wants to start picking up the lion's share of the bill for this toothless, corrupt relic, it can play host and welcome any nuke-crazed madmen with genocidal tendencies it sees fit.

In the meantime, for my money, the ball is in Condi's court.  I won't lose any sleep if Dr. Rice chooses to keep Mad Mahmoud and his Members Only wardrobe out of the country and off my street.

More at Hot Air.