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To all interested in Iran, the UN, kofi Annan and the nuclear weapon issue: my team and I made the essay below to evaluate/explain Kofi Annan's trip to the Middle East. If you are only interested in the bottom line; skip to the end. But if you want to sort of get the feel for the Secretary General's week: please read the entire thing.

All the best,

John

Kofi Annan’s Whirlwind Tour Of Obfuscation, Enabling, and Anti-Israeli Pronouncements

By John E. Carey
September 3, 2006

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has been traveling through the Middle East since he first set foot in Lebanon on August 28, 2006. News outlets and the United Nations’ official website have been filled with delightful discussion of the Secretary General’s peace mission, which, we are told, is meant to be even handed for all sides and to fully implement the terms of UN Resolution 1701 under which the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on the ground on August 14.

The facts might diverge from this “happy public face,” as is often true of Kofi Annan and the UN.

A review of over 500 news stories from various sources (AP, AFP, UPI, plus others including the Arab media) reveals the word “demand” used over 160 times. The predominant use of the word “demand” is in the context: “Annan demands Israel end Blockade of Lebanon.”

We could not find not one use of the word “demand” in the context of Annan making a demand on any nation except Israel.

One has to conclude that Annan made no “demands” of anyone else besides Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, even though the Secretary General also visited Jordan, Syria, Iran, Qatar, and other places.

In Lebanon

Upon arrival at Beirut airport August 28, Annan held his first press conference and explained that he thought it was “important that I come here myself to discuss with the Lebanese authorities the aftermath of the war and the measures being taken to implement UN resolutions, and also, to underscore international solidarity.”

After meeting with Lebanese leaders including Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who serves as Hezbollah’s de facto negotiator, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said the Lebanese government had assured him it would “faithfully” implement the UN ceasefire resolution.

There was no mention of any demands from the Secretary General upon Lebanon.Annan also said he saw an opportunity for long-term peace in the “war-ravaged” Lebanon.

The United Nations Secretary General was heckled and booed by Hezbollah supporters when he toured Beirut’s heavily bombed southern suburbs as part of a regional mission to bolster a UN-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the militant group.

During that outing, Mr. Annan stressed that it was not the role of UN troops to disarm Hezbollah by force: that was an internal Lebanese issue that would have to be tackled through dialogue. Said Mr. Annan, “[UN troops] are not going to go out searching for weapons; this is not their responsibility.”

Lebanon had already stated that it would not disarm Hezbollah.

But Annan fully believed that Lebanon would enforce other provision of Resolution 1701.

“We need to make sure arms don’t come in through the air or sea borders,'’ Annan said. “The Lebanese authorities are taking this issue seriously and taking measures to deal with it.”

Then, referring to Israel even while still in Lebanon, Annan said, “In the meantime the blockade should be lifted.”

On Tuesday, August 29, Kofi Annan visited U.N. peacekeepers in Naqoura, south Lebanon, a day after Italy and Turkey moved to join the international force there. Annan was briefed by French Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini, the UNIFIL commander, and other top officials. Reviews of CNN tapes of this days event reveal that UN peacekeeping forces saluted Annan. The even looked like nothing more than a photo opportunity for the Secretary General.

Upon leaving Lebanon, Annan flew to Ramallah where he met with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. They discussed the political and economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. At a press conference after the meeting, the Secretary General said that he and President Abbas had agreed that an end to the occupation and the creation of a Palestinian State is key to resolving the problems in the troubled region.

In Syria

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had promised to enforce an arms embargo on Hezbollah under a U.N. resolution that halted Israel’s war with the Lebanese Shiite militia.

“The president informed me that Syria supports Security Council Resolution 1701 and will help in its implementation,” Annan told reporters after talks with Assad.

“While stating Syrian objections to the presence of foreign forces along the Syrian-Lebanese border, the president committed to me that Syria will take all necessary measures to implement in full Paragraph 15 of the resolution,” Annan added, referring to a provision that bans illegal arms shipments to Lebanon….meaning that Syria will patrol its own border and enforce the UN resolution. But isn’t the UN resolution needed because Syria was supply arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon?

In Israel

“It is important not only because of the economic effect it is having on the country,” Annan said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

“But it is important to strengthen the democratic government of Lebanon with which Israel has repeatedly said it had no problems.”

Olmert told Annan he would not lift the blockade until the UN deployed in accordance with its own resolution.

There was also an interesting public reference to the fact that Annan views the UN Resolution as a rigid, binding agreement upon Israel. Referring to Annan’s previous comments that the resolution was a “fixed menu” and not a buffet, Olmert said: “As far as we are concerned we entirely accept that it is a fixed menu and that everything will be implemented including the lifting of the blockade as part of the entire implementation.”

According to several news sources, the bottom line of Mr. Annan’s trip to Israel was this: “U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called Israel’s air and sea blockade of Lebanon a ‘humiliation’ and ‘demanded’ it be lifted.”In our experience, the repeated use of the word “demand” is not accidental and probably is a word encouraged by the UN handlers accompanying Mr. Annan.

In Jordan

Mr. Annan said, “I expect — and I did make this clear to the Israeli authorities — that when the international forces have reached 5,000 and are deployed to the south with the Lebanese (army), it is time for them to withdraw and withdraw completely,” Annan told a news conference after talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah.

Mr. Annan also seemed to imply during a news conference that the total of 5,000 UNIFIL troops was the “magic number” required for Israel to lift the blockade.
In Jordan Mr. Annan also “denounced” Israel for its use of cluster bombs.

In Iran

Before arriving in Iran, and speaking of Iran’s nuclear program and the idea that the UN might impose sanctions upon Iran, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he hoped sanctions could be avoided so as to keep from adding to tensions in “a region already subjected to a great stress.”

Most who have work in the world of diplomacy think in terms of carrots and sticks: that is positive reward or inducements combined with the threat of punishment or negative repercussions.

Based on the Secretary Generals’s own statements, one might conclude that for Iran, Kofi Annan just doesn’t believe in enforcing the UN Resolution.

One would think that a diplomat would keep all his options open before speaking to all the antagonists in a situation like this.

In Iran, Mr. Annan met with primarily with Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Annan accepted the Iranian negotiator’s word that “both sides agreed that problems should be solved through negotiations.”

The Associated Press added in their report of the meeting that, “Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the Tehran regime supported the U.N.-mandated truce that ended the fighting in Lebanon, although he didn’t directly address the resolution’s call for halting shipments of weapons to Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran.”

The EC chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran to start negotiation is a cruel and illogical condition adding, “Iran is always ready to negotiate, but the condition is not acceptable by any free nation and the UN Security Council cannot deprive Iran of its right, too.”

Mr. Annan also met briefing with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; but the length of the meeting seemed to indicate a less substantive form of greeting.

On the second day of the Secretary General’s stay in Iran, Mr. Annan met briefly with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Annan emerged to waiting newsmen alone. This is not customary and a breach of protocol. The host, President Ahmadinejad, should normally have accompanied the guest, Mr. Annan.

Reprorters would soon know why.

Mr. Annan commented after the meeting with President Ahmadinejad that, “I think the tragedy of the Holocaust is an undeniable historical fact and we should really accept that fact and teach people what happened in World War II and ensure it is never repeated.”

Reporters soon realized that, in a provocative move on the final day of Kofi Annan’s two-day visit, Iran announced it would host a conference to examine what it called “exaggerations about the Holocaust,” during which more than 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis.

This is a direct affront to Mr. Annan from Iran. Annan had specifically asked Ahmadinejad not to conduct such an event, especially now diring deliberations that could include sanctions against Iran.

Conclusion

As Secretary General Kofi Annan’s mission to these many nations in the Middle east draws to an end, one might make the following conclusions about the Secretary General’s trip:

–Hezbollah will not be disarmed.

–Syria, and not independent UN observers, will predominantly monitor the border between Syria and Lebanon.

–The UN is insisting upon (in fact, “demanding”) that Israel lift the blockade of Lebanon.

–The UN condemns the use of Israeli cluster bombs.

–The Secretary General of the UN has no wish to impose sanctions upon Iran; even though Iran is openly violating the UN Resolution on its nuclear program.

–Iran, already provoking everyone else, chose to provoke Kofi Annan while he was a guest within their country.

This was a miserable display of “diplomacy” by any standard.

***
Mr. Carey has been a military analyst for thirty years. He is the former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc. with diplomatic experience.