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| Korea |
| Syria instructs pro-Iraq vote |
| 2003-05-23 |
| EFL. Syria said Thursday it instructed its delegate at the U.N. Security Council to record a "yes" vote for the resolution to end sanctions in Iraq, several hours after the 15-member panel unanimously endorsed the coalition-sponsored motion without the Arab state. In a statement, Syria's Foreign Ministry said could not take part in the initial voting at the Security Council because "consultations over the content of the draft resolution were not completed." "Hey Bashir!" "Yes, Abdullah?" "Notice the breeze coming through here?" "Why yes, I did notice which way the wind was blowing." "Straight from the west!" "Mighty chilly, too!" The vote ended 13 years of sanctions, allowing for the immediate resumption of oil sales to finance rebuilding of the country and giving the United Nations a strong role in the process. It was delayed about 45 minutes however to await the arrival of a representative from Syria, the only Arab state on the 15-member panel. None showed up so the official vote was recorded as 14-0. Syria's Deputy Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad said the Damascus government was meeting at the time of the council session and had requested additional time to reach a position. Syria similarly sat out a vote on a Middle East resolution March 30 of last year. Then from Damascus came the later statement: "Syria instructed its permanent delegate to record Syria's voting inside the Security Council." Fail to vote in public to please the Arab street, record the vote later so as not to upset Uncle Sam. The Foreign Ministry said Syria decided to vote in favor of the new resolution out of "eagerness to improve the conditions of the Iraqi people" and "despite its conviction that it (the resolution) was not up to the ambitions of the Iraqi people so that their country becomes free, sovereign and united as well enjoys its natural wealth." "Which is completely unlike how we do things here in Syria!" Despite its joining the ranks of support for the resolution, Syria emphasized its vote did not mean it changed its position on either the "illegitimate" war on Iraq nor its "foreign occupation" now. WhatEVER. Syria also noted it "tried along other country-members in the Security Council to introduce vital amendments on the draft resolution with the aim of giving the U.N. a central role, guaranteeing that (Iraq's) wealth return to its people and ending the occupation as quickly as possible." "Which isn't how we do things in Lebanon, but never mind that!" |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 And the Congo is a great example of what a damn fine job the U.N. can do. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-05-23 07:40:05 |