Israel Matzav

Lazy Susan misses a meeting

The United Nations Security Council finally held a meeting on the slaughter in Libya on Wednesday. One ambassador wasn't there. Yes, you guessed correctly, the United States' Susan Rice (Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit). This is from Richard Grenell, the longest serving U.S. Spokesman in the history of the United Nations, who has been critical of Rice in the past. This is from the first link.

At great personal risk to himself and his family, Libya's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Dabbashi, pushed the UN Security Council to take up the violence in his home country. Dabbashi said he could no longer support the regime of his boss Moammar Gadhafi and stepped out to condemn what he called "a genocide". The dramatic event prompted the first UN meeting of the 15 member Security Council on the uprisings sweeping across the region since the beginning of Tunisia's revolution, Egypt's violence and the developing protests in Bahrain, Yemen, Palestine and Iran.

The United States was represented by Foreign Service officer and Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo. The Obama administration's appointed ambassador, Susan Rice, skipped the Libya meeting and instead flew to South Africa to attend a UN panel discussion on global sustainability.

Missing the only Security Council meeting on the Middle East revolution was not Rice's first absence from high profile UN business. Rice was absent when the UN held an emergency Security Council meeting on Israel's raid of a ship headed to Gaza and when Iran was elected to the UN Women's Commission. Rice also failed to speak out when Libya was elected to the UN Human Rights Council in May 2010.

...

Rice's prioritization of the global sustainability meeting over the Libyan crisis sent a terrible signal to American allies at the UN. Rice's absence was not lost on foreign ambassadors and highlighted the inconsistencies of the Obama administration's handling of the Middle East crises. One Arab diplomat told me, "Egypt's violence could hardly be compared to Tripoli's but the (administration's) reaction was much harsher. We aren't sure what Washington is thinking. Ambassador DiCarlo was very strong but more needs to be done."

Read the whole thing. His criticism is withering.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Libya, South Africa, Susan Rice, sustainability, UN Security Council

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:58 PM