Tag Archives: UN

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US administration’s strategy ‘not clear’ over Libyan Issue

US administration maintains international security forces are working in Libya only to establish peace and for humanitarian purpose. The Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi has fled from the country following mounting pressure from the anti-government rebellions and international community.

The role of the United States in any overseas operation involving UN security Council, international security forces has however not been just for humanitarian purposes so far especially since Obama came in power.

The NATO-led military mission has now taken full control over Libya and now the difference among diplomats over Libyan issue is quite evident in the Congress.

Though Obama retains that arming the Libyan rebellions against the autocratic ruler Gaddafi could also be considered as an option however it was yet not been followed as NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet refused.

The opposition Republicans severely criticized Robert Gates, defense secretary, Adm. Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman over America’s role in Libya.

The US president stated that the military action launched in Libya was aimed to avoid a massacre by the pro-government security forces in Libya.

However, Gaddafi’s military force used anti-aircraft vehicles to counter US air strikes and it became impossible for the international forces to differentiate Gaddafi’s forces from the civilians.

The Republicans has raised their eyebrows over US decision to handover Libyan mission fully to NATO forces after 12 days of operation. Obama still refuses possibilities of sending any ground troop to Libya and there has been no time limit set for the NATO-led mission.

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NATO takes stern steps to stop Pro-Gadhafi forces’ suppression in Libya

Gadhafi’s supporters continue to suppress rebels in Libya. They are being assaulted in the cities which rebels had taken under their control—Misrata and Zintan. Allied forces and NATO are continuing their attacks to stop Gadhafi supporters’ torture against rebellions. Tripoli witnessed continuous explosions and anti aircraft fire on Wednesday.

According to the reports NATO has brought its warships off Libya Coast with UN arms embargo. NATO is also trying to impose flight restrictions on Libya following the declaration of no-fly-zone. The reports regarding NATO forces’ attack came after Gadhafi’s fierce criticism against the international military actions against his supporters.

Gadhafi recently reiterated his promise to fight against the unrest by the rebels and interference from international communities.

The Libyan president declared in a public appearance that the country is ready for the battle. He further said that it would not matter for Libya whether the battle was short or long and Libya was ready to give reply.

Gadhafi fledged international forces for their military attacks on his supporters and efforts for implementing no fly zone over Libya. He stated that it was a crusade against Islam religion. The speech was broadcast live by a state television channel in Libya.

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UN nuk agency says Japan struggling to avoid radiation disaster

Yukiya Amano, Chief of the U.N.’s nuclear energy agency reveals that Japan is trying its best to cool the nuclear reactors after its cooling systems failed following devastating earthquake and tsunami in the country. The nuk chief stated this after observing the situation in Tokyo and a talk with the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The UN diplomat says that the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant was more serious that what he predicted. The Japanese authorities are still trying to cool the reactor, whereas the unprecedented rise in temperature at reactors is exposing the spent fuel rods that are lying in empty pool in the reactor.

Japan has been offered assistance for assessing the dangers of Fukushima by the United States. It has also recommended a 50-mile evacuation zone for precautionary measure to avoid effects of harmful nuclear radiations from the plant, revealed the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jazcko. To regain control over the plant, a new power line is being laid to the plant to restore cooling system for the reactors, however its operators, Tokyo Electric Power Co. has already missed the deadline it set to complete the restoration work.

The Group of Seven industrialized nations has also offered to help Japan in this need of crisis and reinstall all infrastructure that has been devastated by the Friday earthquake.

However this effort would be focused on intervention on the currency market to weaken Japanese Yen and help Japan to gain from its exports.

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US, Russia to implement START Treaty

Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State finalizes deal with Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister on Security Policy in Munich, Germany on Feb. 5.

The two nations will implement the new treaty– new Strategic arms reduction treaty (START)  to restrict the number of nuclear weapons they can possess.

Hillary Clinton and Sergei Lavrov traded authorization documents with each other in Germany during a ceremony to enact the treaty.

Clinton stated that the treaty would serve as a “clear-eyed cooperation” for everybody’s interest. The Russian diplomat called it a mean to enhance global stability.

US president Barack Obama signed START treaty in last April with Dmitry Medvedev, Russian President substituting the older arms control pact. The earlier deal was signed during cold war in 1991.

The new deal states that both the nations signing the treaty would limit their nuclear warheads to 1550—reducing 30 percent from the level set in 2002.

Ban Ki-Moon, U.N. chief welcomed the United States and Russia for the step and appreciated the two leaders for taking lead on the issue of reduction of nuclear weapons. The new nuclear weapons reduction deal or START treaty had been approved by the United States Senate earlier in December. Russian Parliament too passed the bill to go ahead with the treaty in the previous month.

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UN Shifts employees from Egypt to Cyprus for safety

The United Nations asked its members to move from Egypt seeing the mass unrest in the country. More than 5,000 passengers were besieged at Cairo airport following the violent protests in Cairo against President Hosni Mubarak.

The U.N. has sent two chartered aircraft to take back its 350 staffs and their families safely to Cyprus.

Rolando Gomez, spokesperson for the UN stated that the organization has shifted its 600 employees temporarily from Egypt to Cyprus due to security reasons. They would however, continue their usual service from Cyprus.

Around 1900 US citizens have left Egypt within three days and the United States is providing emergency supports for travel documents and flights to all its citizens for evacuating. Additional flights are being provided on Thursday to evacuate foreign nationals safely from Egypt. More than 150 US citizens were found waiting eagerly to board any available flight commercial or government-chartered flight.

There was a heavy congestion on the Cairo airport as more than 5000 passengers crowded there on Wednesday. The passengers had reached the airport fearing the bloody street brawl in the Egyptian capital city.

The mass unrest has engulfed Egypt since January end. Thousands of flights have been cancelled in the wake of violent protests. Tourism sector alone has suffered a loss of $1 billion so far in last 10 months.

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UN official reveals extra-judicial killings in Ivory Coast

The United Nations faults Ivory Coast for human rights abuse after the November elections. The UN official reveals he has evidence of extra-judicial murders of innocent people to suppress the voices against the President Gbagbo.

However he acknowledged that the suppression of political leaders and their supporters against Gbagbo has gradually decreased.

Raila Odinga, Kenyan Premier is paying a visit to resolve the election dispute in Abidjan.

Ivorian President, Gbagbo is still insistent upon remaining in power despite so much international pressure upon him. He delayed the due presidential polls as far as possible. Finally the polls were organized under international pressure, when Gbagbo’s rival leader Alassane Ouattara was declared a winner by international community. However, Gbagbo nullified Ouattara’s victory and declared himself a winner.

There have been many clashes and demonstration by the supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara. USA and many other countries have imposed sanctions against Gbagbo and compelling him to resign. US authorities even tried to lure Gbagbo with many offers provided he hands over power to Ouattara.

The UN officials have acknowledged violence against supporters of Ouattara. According to UN report, more than 200 opponents of Gbagbo have disappeared, who have possibly been abducted and killed by Gbagbo’s supporters.

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Obama warns Ivory Coast president to resign

Gbagbo not ready to resign yet

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo pledged for not leaving despite US warnings to resign.

The US administration stated him to resign before it was too late, however Gbagbo has insisted upon staying in power.

Gbagbo has defied all the constitutional rules by denying his rival candidates win in the presidential polls. The polls were already delayed due to Gbagbo’s interruptions and were held only after the agreement with UN for restoring peace in Ivory Coast.

However Gbagbo did not agree with the November election results that declared his rival Alassane Ouattara a winner.

Gbabgo called on his supporters to not to give up and defend the country from foreign attacks.

Obama administration has been trying to solve Ivorian crisis with peaceful efforts yet and officials have even tried to convince Gbagbo to resign by luring him for getting a position in some international organization. Gbabgo has also being given an offer to settle in the United States if he liked or anywhere in Europe or Africa.

The international community has so far tried to pressurize Gbagbo by imposing travel sanctions on him and his family.  The US officials have also clarified that the offers given to Gbagbo might also be withdrawn if his supporters continued to suppress Ouattara’s supporters and attack UN officials and peacekeepers in Ivory Coast.

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UN Warns Ivorian President’s supporters against attack on leader

The United Nations issues warning against the supporters of Ivory Coast president for attacking Alassane Ouattara. However, it is likely to ignite a civil war in the country among the supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara.

Martin Nesirky, spokesperson of the United Nations stated that the UN chief Ban Ki-moon was “deeply alarmed” by the aggressive statements given by the supporters of Gbagbo against Ouattara.

The UN secretary general said that this attack on Ouattara’s hotel where he was staying, could provoke violence and called for immediate action to prevent such incidences, reveled the UN spokesperson.

UN had been authorized to verify the Nov 28 poll results under a peace agreement made after the civil war 2002-03. Ouattara was declared a winner by the international community but Gbagbo declared himself as winner referring to the Ivory Coast constitutional council’s decision. However, the council was headed by Gbagbo himself and he nullified the decision of one million voters to declare himself as a winner. The United Sates and other superpowers of the world have pressurized Gbagbo to resign and let Ouattara take the position of president however, Gbagbo remains aloof to all the pressure put over him. Gbagbo has already ruled in Ivory Coast much beyond the time given to an elected president to rule Ivory Coast as Gbagbo delayed the elections. .

Human rights groups have threatened president’s supporters for abducting political leaders who have been opposing Gbagbo. There have been reports of mass killing by Gbagbo supporters.

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Ivorian President Gbago insists on remaining in power despite human right abuse

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo continues to remain in power despite the cries of human rights abuses in Ivory Coast arising out of political uncertainty.

The U.N. deputy high commissioner for human rights, Kyung-wha Kang, has declared that human rights officers, “have substantiated allegations of 173 killings, 90 instances of torture and ill treatment, 471 arrests and detentions and 24 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances,” between the last Thursday and Tuesday.

She has also alleged that the special representative of the Secretary-General has been stopped at gun point while investigating the human rights abuse cases.

Violence erupted after the November 28th Presidential elections. The ruling President believes that he won the elections, while the Election Commission picked opposition leader Alassane Ouattara as the winner. President Gbago derives strength from the ruling of the Constitutional Council that over ruled the Election Commission ruling.

Gbago claims that Ouattara and his followers are no longer a peaceful opposition and they have attacked soldiers’ with weapons. Charles Ble Goude, the nation’s youth minister under Gbagbo acknowledges that the situation is “very very difficult to live in”. But he condemns the U.N report as it only points out to the ruling government.

However, Kang accuses the ruling government responsible for “illegal detentions, nightly arrests and disappearances.”

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US calls on West African nations to support peacekeeping force

peacekeeping force in Ivory Coast

Buttressing of peacekeeping forces and imposing financial sanctions against President Laurent Gbagbo could help prevent a civil war in Ivory Coast.

State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley says that Gbagbo had lost the last election and he should step down making way for the elected party to form government.

While the presence of US forces is not discussed now, USA wants Nigeria and West African nations to augment the existing UN peacekeeping force. Gbagbo has already questioned the presence of UN peace keeping force in Ivory Coast. His next move could be to resist the peacekeeping force with his own force, which could lead to a civil war.

Opposition leaders are already requesting for the removal of Gbagbo who is still clinging on to power despite losing the elections. France and Germany have warned their citizens to leave the country. The UN refugee commissioner has reported that nearly 6000 people of Ivory Coast have fled the country.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick confirmed that the bank has frozen loans to the Ivory Coast. The Central Bank of West African States has also stopped lending to Ivory Coast. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the possibility of Ivory Coast slipping in to a civil war. US is urging and hoping that sanctions and increase presence of peacekeeping forces could stop a civil war there.