Rice of US Thinks "Highly" of Menkerios, Ghost Tweets by UN Council, Bosnian Chaos

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1crorice020110.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 1 -- It's a new month and a new day at the UN. With France taking over the presidency of the Security Council from China, on the morning of February 1 other Council members met one by one with the presidency to discuss the month's agenda or program of work. It was not a formal or even listed Council meeting, and therefore the stakeout area was dark, with no other journalists present.

One European Ambassador told Inner City Press, "You're all alone out here." U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, on her way out, slowed and took a question from the Press.

"What does the U.S. think of Mr. Menkerios, the new chief of the UN Mission in Sudan, UNMIS?" (Click here for Inner City Press' story over the weekend about the nomination.)

"Highly," Ambassador Rice said. Inner City Press asked, "Haile?" -- it is Menkeios' first name. There was laughter in the half light. Ambassador Rice had been taking fire of light, including for not being present and accessible enough at the UN and Council in New York. Perhaps this is a new beginning.

A response to the criticism, signed by Ambassador Rice's spokesman Mark Kornblau, has appeared online. After Mr. Kornblau unleashed buckshot at flock of "canards" -- a l'orange? one wag wanted to know -- a snarky commenter retorted, "How much do you get paid to 'pump up' her IMAGE! obviously she isn't doing anything. if she was, then reporters would write what she was doing. instead, she has her assistant write a PR piece."

But simultaneous with Ambassador Rice's exit from the Council, two tweets were posted in her new Twitter feed, noting two resolutions passed in January, and the handover to the French. Does she tweet and walk at the same time? Or, like Ban Ki-moon, is someone tweeting for her?

Footnote: Other Ambassador greeted going in to consult with the French were those of Austria and Russia -- one wanted to ask about portions of Henry Paulson's memoir, more on this soon -- but not Croatia. The Mission of Bosnia is embroiled in controversy. The new Ambassador Ivan Barbalic is said to have requested the removal or reprimand of his deputy, Mirsada Colakovic.

But Ms. Colakovic pulled rank, and made her putative boss withdraw the request. Meanwhile the Bosnian Mission pays more rent in New York than its Balkan counterparts. If you can't run your Mission, how will you be effective on the Council? We'll see.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1crorice020110.html