By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 10 -- When a reference to protect lesbians and gays was removed from a draft resolution against arbitrary executions in the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, the US Mission was constrained in fighting it, since they wouldn't vote for the overall resolution due to continued use of drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere, according to advocates.
But early on December 10, the US Mission sent some reporters a notice that Ambassador Susan Rice would at 1:15 be announcing a US sponsored amendment to be introduced in the full General Assembly. This early notice did not address the US' overall position on the resolution against arbitrary executions.
As Ambassador Rice walked into the Security Council at 10:30 on Friday morning for meetings on Iran and Haiti, Inner City Press asked if the US would vote for the resolution on executions.
Not getting an answer, Inner City Press put the same question to US Mission staff, along with questioning the seemingly selective distribution of the early notice of Rice's 1:15 appearance.
The response was that the Mission would be issuing a formal notice. But what about the US position on the resolution against executions? Watch this site.
