UNITED NATIONS, April 14 -- The responsibility to protect, a doctrine that if a government cannot or does not serve its people others may step in to do so, was called by the President of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday a "new cosmetic improvement" on the "right to intervene." Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, formerly Nicaragua's foreign minister, said that R2P reminds him of the United States' interventions in Latin America "to protect its interests."
Inner City Press asked d'Escoto about his appointment earlier this month of former Indian Ambassador to the UN Nirupam Sen as his advisor on the Responsibility to Protect, as well as on the global financial crisis, and asked if d'Escoto is a supporter of or skeptic about R2P. D'Escoto answered that he has "reservations" about R2P, and may organize an interactive panel on the topic.
D'Escoto has already scheduled for June 1-3 a meeting on the global financial crisis. Inner City Press asked, in light of d'Escoto's public praise of Barack Obama, who might come to the event from the U.S. government. D'Escoto answered that he "hopes God protects Obama," comparing him to Martin Luther King. Immediately after that, d'Escoto praised a book asserting that the CIA killed John F. Kennedy.
When Hillary Clinton engaged in such free association on the campaign trail, there was a fire storm. For d'Escoto, it was one of his least controversial statement. He began the press conference by referring to the UN's failure to bring about a Palestinian state. Asked about his past, he said he is more of a Sandinista today than in 1979.
On why Sen sought and took the post, on April 6 Inner City Press asked d'Escoto's spokesman Enrique Yeves
Inner City Press: I’ve noticed now subsequent to that [inaudible] on the website of the President, a letter appointing Nirupam Sen of India as “Special Senior Adviser” on three topics, including responsibility to protect. First, is the Ambassador a proponent of the responsibility to protect or a doubter, and does this position involve a G-4 visa; do these positions, these Special Adviser positions? And what’s the difference between the Special Advisers, the Senior Advisers and Specials? Is this along the lines of Mr. De Schutter’s or is it something else?
Spokesperson: No, he is a Special Adviser. In this particular case -- as you know, Ambassador Sen had ended his work in the Mission here -- he has been so involved in many of the issues that he talked with President d´Escoto and they both agreed that it would be a very good idea to start giving him advice on all these issues that are mentioned in the letter until the end of the presidency of President d´Escoto. And…
Inner City Press: Is it a paying position, does it involve a G-4 visa?
Spokesperson: It is not a paid position. And on the G-4 visa, to be honest, I don’t know, but I can find out for you.
Inner City Press: Is this the exact same phrasing and status as Mr. De Schutter, Noam Chomsky and…?
Spokesperson: That’s correct. As you know, none of these Special Advisers are getting any salary or have any contractual arrangement as such.
Inner City Press: [inaudible] Ambassador Sen will come as required or will he be based here?
Spokesperson: He is based here and he has already been giving advice since 1 April, which is when his assignment started.
Inner City Press: I’m sorry, I forgot to follow up. On responsibility to protect, can you say something about whether he is thought to be a proponent or a doubter on responsibility to protect?
Spokesperson: Well, I think this is a question for him to answer than for me. But obviously, you will have a chance to talk to him.
See above -- d'Escoto is a doubter, or "has reservations." On April 7, Inner City Press asked
Inner City Press: To this question yesterday of the G-4 visa, did you get to the bottom of it? Whether the Special Adviser, particularly the new one…?
Spokesperson: I understand now that it is up to the [ United States] State Department to decide on this issue, because the Permanent Representative of India is entitled to a G-1 visa and he is now informing the State Department of his new status and he will know what kind of visa he is going to get.
Inner City Press: But it’s the position of the President of the General Assembly that these part-time…this is a part-time position, right? It’s a part-time Special Senior Adviser?
Spokesperson: Correct. I have asked him. Well, I already did and he said he is waiting for an answer from the State Department, so we don’t know yet.
Inner City Press: But he’s definitely seeking one and it’s based on that position?
Spokesperson: Yes, that’s correct.
And so, as soon as he obtained the assignment, Sen applied to the State Department for the visa status...
And see, www.innercitypress.com/pga1r2pobama041409.html
