Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, January 8 -- The Security Council's non-permanent members played a larger role than usual in the amendments released Thursday to the Libyan introduced draft resolution on Gaza, Inner City Press has learned. A Latin American member submitted changes, including the naming of Hamas, to Libya at noon on Wednesday.
At six, two Arab Group members told the Latins that the amendments were rejected. But a subsequent call to the Libyan Ambassador revealed the the proposed amendments hadn't even been presented to the Arab Group yet. By 8:30 pm on Wednesday, the amendments were accepted, including the naming of Hamas.
The Permanent Representative of the country submitting the amendment told Inner City Press that to explain for domestic consumption possibly siding with "Libya, China et al," he needs to point to something achieved thereby: the naming of Hamas in the resolution.
Libya's sudden acceptance of the amendments is designed to garner support of non-permanent Council members -- not only the two Latin America countries, Mexico and Costa Rica, but even Austria, which is said to be eager to "break out of the European Union straight-jacket."
The UK and France are promoting themselves, while expecting the entire EU to follow them. From the basement of the UN, the call goes out, where are the Czechs, the EU presidency? To be continued.
