U.S. Fumes Over Cuba's Re-Election to U.N. Rights Panel

FNC ^ | 04/30/03 | Jim Angle

[m1-lightning]

Wednesday, April 30, 2003

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday expressed outrage that Cuba has been re-elected to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, only three weeks after rounding up dozens of dissidents and sending them to prison.

"This is a setback for the cause of human rights. Cuba does not deserve a seat on the Human Rights Commission. Cuba deserves to be investigated by the Human Rights Commission," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

While the United States was preoccupied with the Iraq war, Cuban leader Fidel Castro arrested 78 dissidents, journalists and librarians and "tried" them for treason, giving them varying prison sentences of as long as 28 years.

The same commission that by acclamation Tuesday allowed Cuba to remain a member, earlier this month voted to investigate the mass arrests. It was treated with resistance.

"The Human Rights Commission wanted to send investigators into Cuba and Cuba said 'no.' And yet, today, Cuba gets re-elected to the Human Rights Commission. It raises troubling issues, and that's why the United States is speaking out about it," Fleischer said.

The Bush administration lobbied against the vote to keep Cuba on the panel, but in the end threw up its hands, suggesting the commission is a lost cause.

"You have to keep in mind that Libya is the chairman of this committee. There are some things that happen at the United Nations that it's very hard for anybody to explain," Fleischer said.

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Economic Social Council Sichan Siv, who served as the U.S. representative at Tuesday's commission meeting, got up and walked out when it became clear Cuba was going to win the vote.

"It was an outrage for us because we view Cuba as the worst violator of human rights in this hemisphere," he said.

Siv said the arrests aren't the only travesties committed by Castro. Cubans trying to escape Castro's regime have mounted several hijackings recently, including a plane flown to Key West and a ferryboat also headed to Florida. While hijackings are illegal, Castro didn't bother with anything like a trial, Siv said.

"They arrested three hijackers. After one week of incarceration, they shot them — no trial no justice or nothing," he said.

Castro's summary executions surprised and dismayed even his longtime defenders. It also riled longtime critics in the U.S. Congress.

"Allowing Cuba to stay on the Human Rights Commission is like honoring Saddam Hussein with the Nobel Peace Prize," said Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley.

Foley is introducing a congressional resolution calling on the United Nations to reverse its decision.

Fox News' Jim Angle contributed to this report.

[m1-lightning]

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Economic Social Council Sichan Siv, who served as the U.S. representative at Tuesday's commission meeting, got up and walked out

How many times has the ambassador walked out on the UN?

Should we get out of the UN? Take the Poll

In a related stroy, Ron Paul is asking Tom Delay to push HR 1146 to remove the US from the UN

[LisaAnne]

U.S. representative at Tuesday's commission meeting, got up and walked out

He should just keep walking, don't look back.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Fox just said it should be renamed the anti-
Human Rights Commission.

[ImpotentRage]

Agree. I wonder how long we are going to continue letting the UN rub our nose in it. I SO want us out of there.

[big gray tabby]

They're just doing this to annoy us. If we show outrage we're playing right into their hands. We need to just laugh and get up from the table and go for beers.

[The Wizard]

I think it's time to voice our displeasure and disengage from this now useless organization

[The Great RJ]

Perhaps the US should start behaving like most UN members-- don't pay our dues, but retain our permanent seat on the Security Council and veto just about any Security Council resolution that comes along.

[Ebenezer]

How about walking out of the UN......for good?

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

"U.S. Fumes Over Cuba's Re-Election to U.N. Rights Panel"

I thought the headline read:

U.N. Fumes Over Cuba's Re-Election U.N. Rights Panel

[m1-lightning]

Ping

[cloud8]

What is going to finally push the American people over the edge to say, Let's get the heck out of the U. N. It can't be much more than this joke of allowing Cuba to be on the Rights Commission.

[m1-lightning]

That's straight of the FNC website

[areafiftyone]

Already posted twice yesterday. HERE and HERE

[Lucas1]

This is a sick joke right? Sad Sad Sad...how much longer people...

[m1-lightning]

Yeah, it's time to get out. The UN doesn't even stand for what it was originally intended for. We don't need blue helmet referees in war.

[kidd]

I agree with your strategy.

Diplomatic vandalism.

[m1-lightning]

I see. I guess it will either be pulled or more discussion will just continue.

[firewalk]

bttt

[m1-lightning]

If we stay, we would be held accountable if we don't follow their idiotic resolutions. You know the other members don't open their mouths about such incidents unless the US is the one to break a resolution. At least if we get out then we are free from their beaurocracy and can do what we want.

[kidd]

If we veto everything then there will be no resolutions to be held accountable to.

If we leave abruptly, then the UN becomes an organization that is galvanized against the US (more so than it already is).

I say kill the UN. You can't kill it if youre not part of it. Stop paying dues. Veto everything.