By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 26 -- When German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle and the Arab League's Nabil Elaraby appeared for an 8:30 am press conference on Wednesday, seven hours before the German-organized UN Security Council meeting about the Arab League, each made a point of speaking in their native language, for the home audience.
But Inner City Press got in two questions in English, one of which was dodged and the other not directly answered.
Inner City Press asked Westerwelle about reports that German ships have been collecting intelligence from Syria, for example on army movements, and providing it to the Syria opposition.
Westerwelle said he would not comment on that. It was in the German newspaper Die Welt. Some say there are countries that want to be able to tell their home audience they are helping the rebels, but then... don't want to answer questions about it.
Elaraby had said that Palestine is the most important issue. Inner City Press asked about the draft(s) of a Council Presidential Statement for the afternoon, and about what Council sources tell Inner City Press is the "Host Country's" opposition to a reference to Palestine and the Arab peace initiative.
But Elaraby did not answer about this specific opposition, rather saying that the tragedy of Palestine was caused by the Security Council, and should be fixed by it. Welcome to the world of the Security Council veto -- as on Syria. Watch this site.
