Ban Reversal: Tells PA Not to Seek UN Membership

[vminfla]

In a surprising reversal, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority should not pursue its plan to be recognized as a member state of the United Nations. Now that the PA has been accepted into UNESCO, the Authority's leadership should be satisfied with that achievement. Anything beyond that, Ban said, will “not be beneficial for Palestine and not be beneficial for anybody.”

Ban, speaking before a meeting of the G20 industrialized nations in Paris, specified the reason for his change of heart; the financial hit the U.N. took when UNESCO approved the PA's membership. The U.S. and Canada have cut off funds to the organization, instantly lowering its operating budget by nearly 30%. No other countries have stepped up to fill in the financial gap – and Ban, the observers said, has gotten an unpleasant reminder of how important the United States is to the international organization. The U.S. had been set to forward $64 million to UNESCO next month, but that money will no longer be forthcoming, as a result of Washington's cutoff of funds.

Ban said that any further efforts by the PA to ensconce itself in U.N. organizations as a vehicle to achieve international recognition of the state it seeks to establish in Judea, Samaria, and most of Jerusalem, “could impact the lives of millions of people, who will no longer receive funding for their needs and will suffer because of the actions of the Palestinians.”

“This is a man who has encouraged the Palestinians with all their wildest political plans until now, and because his organization is going to miss out on some money, he has thrown away all the high-sounding principles he espoused when he was able to freely spend American money any way he wanted,” said one Israeli source. “It's perhaps not surprising that he would say this, as he needs to worry about the organization, but so quickly? Could he not line up other donors to cover the American shortfall?”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/149385

---

ut oh. And now that an NGO declared that the PA does not meet statehood requirements for UNESCO membership it could mean that Abbas' bid for UN recoginition is going to be over before it started.

[teddy51]

1. Good old pressure from the US of A and Canada... I think the whole

concept of the UN is a crock of shit anyway. Everything always comes down to money.

[Dick Dastardly]

6. Do you mean the concept of the UN? Cuz it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny

You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey.


Your money comment reminded me of that above line from some old school rap from one of the original rappers. Its an awsome tune, awsome beat and awsome lyrics.

I know its off topic but its a jam

Grandmaster Flash - The Message (1982) (Original)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40hXxydbjjg&feature=related


The Message Lyrics


It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

Broken glass everywhere
People pissin' on the stairs, you know they just don't care
I can't take the smell, can't take the noise
Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice
Rats in the front room, roaches in the back
Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat
I tried to get away but I couldn't get far
'cuz a man with a tow truck repossessed my car

Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Uh huh ha ha ha
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

Standin' on the front stoop hangin' out the window
Watchin' all the cars go by, roarin' as the breezes blow
Crazy lady, livin' in a bag
Eatin' outta garbage pails, used to be a fag had sex and
danced the tango, skip the life and dango
A Zircon princess seemed to lost her senses
Down at the peep show watchin' all the creeps
So she can tell her stories to the girls back home
She went to the city and got so so sadity
She had to get a pimp, she couldn't make it on her own

Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Uh huh ha ha ha

It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

My brother's doin' bad, stole my mother's TV
Says she watches too much, it's just not healthy
"All My Children" in the daytime, "Dallas" at night
Can't even see the game or the Sugar Ray fight
The bill collectors, they ring my phone
and scare my wife when I'm not home
Got a bum education, double-digit inflation
Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station
Neon King Kong standin' on my back
Can't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac
A mid-range migraine, cancered membrane
Sometimes I think I'm goin' insane
I swear I might hijack a plane!

Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

My son said, Daddy, I don't wanna go to school
'cuz the teacher's a jerk, he must think I'm a fool
And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaper
if I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper
Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet
Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps
'cuz it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny
You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey
They pushed that girl in front of the train
Took her to the doctor, sewed her arm on again
Stabbed that man right in his heart
Gave him a transplant for a brand new start
I can't walk through the park 'cuz it's crazy after dark
Keep my hand on my gun 'cuz they got me on the run
I feel like a outlaw, broke my last glass jaw
Hear them say "You want some more?"
Livin' on a see-saw

Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Say what?

It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under

A child is born with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smilin' on you but he's frownin' too
Because only God knows what you'll go through
You'll grow in the ghetto livin' second-rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alleyway
You'll admire all the number-book takers
Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money-makers
Drivin' big cars, spendin' twenties and tens
And you'll wanna grow up to be just like them, huh
Smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers, even panhandlers
You say I'm cool, huh, I'm no fool
But then you wind up droppin' outta high school
Now you're unemployed, all non void
Walkin' round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd
Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did
Got sent up for a eight-year bid
Now your manhood is took and you're a Maytag
Spend the next two years as a undercover fag
Bein' used and abused to serve like hell
'til one day, you was found hung dead in the cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young so...

Don't push me 'cuz I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head
Uh huh huh huh huh

It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
Huh, uh huh huh huh huh
It's like a jungle sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under
Huh, uh huh huh huh huh

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/the-message-lyrics-grandmaster-flash/de263fe1d96567e148256aa10003af9b

[mazzarro]

2. PA will be stupid to let go of the wishes of Palestinians

because Ban Ki-moon wants them to. After all, the Palestinians have their own worries and survival to think of and since the UN is not of much help to them in that regard, they - the Palestinians should as well share their sufferings with the UN and the world - if that is what the Western countries want to deal out to them for being so brazen.

[vminfla]

3. The UN's self interest will supercede the UN's hypocrisy

Not only will it be unlikely that they win more than one or two votes, but it is equally likely that they will be booted out of UNESCO because of the hate speech in their school books.

[dtexdem]

4. Millions will "suffer because of the actions of the Palestinians.” NO!

Millions will suffer because of the acts of the U.S. and Israel.

[vminfla]

5. How so? It's the democratic process of the UN

107 states voted to defund UNESCO.

[teddy51]

7. Yeah, except that the 107 countries felt intimidated to vote along with the US

and Israel for fear of reprisal in one form or other.

[vminfla]

9. Those 107 voted against the US and against UNESCO's own rules

Your statement has no basis in fact.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. Black letter US law. Everyone knew it was coming

Some believed that the US would not do it since it was UNESCO. Obama administration did not have a choice. UNESCO funding is being removed from the next round of appropriation bills, so the money will not be there to send.

[azurnoir]

10. do you have the text of that "Black letter US law" ?

care to post it for us

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. I know you can Google...

However, here is something from WaPo that should help you:

The prohibition on U.S. funding of U.N. agencies that recognize a Palestinian state was included in two pieces of legislation that were signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and President Bill Clinton in 1994.

The 1990 law prohibits the appropriation of funds “for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as a member state.”

In 1994, Congress barred funding “any affiliated organization of the United Nations which grants full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood.”


From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/unesco-votes-to-admit-palestine-over-us-objections/2011/10/31/gIQAMleYZM_story.html

----------------------------------------------------

US Code is freely available online if you want original text.

[azurnoir]

12. aha you keep promoting it lets see it huh?

or is there something perhaps questionable about the law? perhaps a Professor doesn't want certain knowledge passed on?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Are you really that Google impaired?

The reference you seem unable to locate is:

22 USC 287e as amended by PL 101-246

[azurnoir]

14. let's see them then unless you do not wish to back up what you say ? n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. So your are vision impaired as well as Google impaired?

I previously cited 22 USC 287e as amended by PL 101-246


MEMBERSHIP OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION IN UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES.

(a) PROHIBITION- No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or any other Act shall be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states.

(b) TRANSFER OR REPROGRAMMING- Funds subject to the prohibition contained in subsection (a) which would be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof (but for that prohibition) are authorized to remain available until expended and may be reprogrammed or transferred to any other account of the Department of State or the Agency for International Development to carry out the general purposes for which such funds were authorized.
==============================
The blanket reprogramming authority is only good for funds already appropriated. Given the nature of CRA funding, I would not expect any more appropriations for UNESCO.

Canada has also pulled its volutary UNESCO funding (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-02/news/30350317_1_unesco-canada-plans-palestinian-bid)

Interesting to note that the UN General Secretary is now suggesting that the PA (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/03/ban-ki-moon-palestinian-un?newsfeed=true)not join other agencies and the support for full PA membership is also declining. (http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/03/world/meast/un-palestinian-membership/)

[azurnoir]

16. There's a bit you left out

Bill Text
101st Congress (1989-1990)
H.R.3792

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Enrolled Bill – ENR)SEC. 108. RESTRICTION ON FUNDS FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH CERTAIN PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES.<...>

Section 1302(b) of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985 (22 U.S.C. 2151), is amended by inserting before the period at the end thereof the following: `, except that no funds authorized to be appropriated by this or any other Act may be obligated or made available for the conduct of the current dialogue on the Middle East peace process with any representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization if the President knows and advises the Congress that that representative directly participated in the planning or execution of a particular terrorist activity which resulted in the death or kidnapping of a United States citizen’.

http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2011/11/02/dead-hand-rocks-cradle/

but thanks for playing :-)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. So it always was a sham on your part...

thanks for showing it so readily. Kind of thought you would.

[azurnoir]

19. nope I found it while taking your Google suggestion n/t

[vminfla]

18. has it been 26 years since the PLF orchestrated the death of Leon Klinghoffer on the Achille Lauro?

It seems like almost yesterday that Abu Abbas led the Palestinian Liberation Front in the hijacking of the Achille Lauro and threw the wheelchair-bound US citizen Leon Klinghoffer overboard.

[azurnoir]

20. it was a different Abbas than the one that leads the PA and PLO

different first names the Abbas that is the current leader is Mahmoud Abbas.

the PFLP leader that led the Achille Lauro hijacking was this man

Abu Abbas, a convicted Palestinian terrorist who masterminded the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro on which a wheelchair-bound American was killed, was captured by U.S. Special Forces in the outskirts of Baghdad, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.

Abbas, whose real first name is Muhammed, was apprehended Monday night in a compound of three buildings.

http://articles.cnn.com/2003-04-15/world/sprj.irq.abbas.arrested_1_hijacking-abu-abbas-hostage-taking-and-conspiracy?_s=PM:WORLD

were you confused or were you hoping to confuse?

[vminfla]

21. Neither, but the connection between the PLF and the PLO is direct

That is why these divestiture laws were put in the place. Because, rewarding the UN with US dollars when the UN supports terrorist organizations is beyond the ken.

[azurnoir]

22. Does the US consider the PLO a terrorist organization? n/t

[vminfla]

23. The PLO was designated a terrorist organization in 1987

Hence these well-reasoned, and I believe the term is, BDS.

[azurnoir]

24. In 1994 the US took the PLO off it's list of terrorist organizations n/t

[shira]

25. You think the US should've put them back on the list when Arafat initiated Intifada 2? n/t

[azurnoir]

26. NO but I' ll wager you do?

the second intifada started the day after Sharon provoked it perhaps intentionally by going to Al-Haram Al-Sharif where Dome of the Rock and al Aqsa Mosque are located also known as the temple mount and proclaiming it Israel's

[vminfla]

29. The second intifada was planned in advance by Barghouti and Arafat

The visit by Sharon was merely the pretext given in hindsight.

[vminfla]

30. The US did not remove the PLO from the terrorism list for political reasons

The PLO was removed from the terrorism list not because they are no longer a danger, but because it was believed to be a politically expedient way to achieve peace. Obviously, it failed.

[vminfla]

27. Based on the Oslo Accords, now that the PA broke the Oslo Accords agreements it can go back on

A condition of Oslo was that the palestinians would not directly petition for UN recognizing it as a state outside of negotiations wiht Israel. Since its inception to UNESCO, that renders these preconditions moot.

[azurnoir]

28. Does Oslo say that? specifically?

as long as Israel keeps using the advantages given it by Oslo; Oslo is intact

[vminfla]

31. Oslo states that the Israelis and Arabs agree to negotiate directly

This is not a direct negotiation, but an attempt at an end run.

[azurnoir]

32. well ok then

so a week later that's the best you can do?

[azurnoir]

33. The title of the thread is quite misleading

as Ban did not tell the Palestinians not to seek UN memvership but said that seeking membership in UN bodies coulds be harmful to people around the world

this is a result of a US law that would see children globally go sick and possibly die of hunger to spite any UN admitting Palestinians

[vminfla]

34. That is exactly what he said

Ban stated that the Abbas should cease and desist.

That he was motivated by the fact that the US took a principled stand is secondary.

[azurnoir]

35. Total BS

Palestinian Authority foreign minister Riyad Malki said Thursday that the P.A. will not pursue admission to additional UN agencies at this time, a reversal from an announcement earlier that it has at least 16 other U.N. bodies in its sights.

Speaking in Ramallah, Malki said the P.A. would instead focus its efforts on its bid for full U.N. recognition, an application currently under consideration by a Security Council committee.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/money-talks-palestinians-drop-plans-join-other-un-agencies-after-un-chief-frets-about

The Palestinian Authority said it would stop trying to gain membership to U.N. agencies on the same day that Israel said it would stop paying dues to UNESCO.

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Thursday that the Palestinians would shelve their plans to gain admission to other agencies and focus on their application to become a full member of the United Nations General Assembly. The statement contradicts a statement made two days earlier by the Palestinian envoy to the U.N. headquarters in Geneva indicating that the Palestinians would pursue membership to some 16 U.N. agencies.

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/63337/unesco-vote-puts-cachet-in-palestinians-pocket/


if you need I'll provide several more links okay?

BTW luv the way you reply 5 days after the fact to kick yur thread perhaps?
stay classy now

[vminfla]

36. You are right, total BS

what do your links have to do with anything?

Yes, the PA is more interested about the dollars than the principle.