Obama's UN lesson

Comments: 16

Last Updated: 12:19 PM, December 5, 2009

Posted: October 19, 2009

Six months ago, President Obama re versed his predecessor's boycott and accepted a seat for the United States on the vile UN Human Rights Council.
	 
As UN Ambassador Susan Rice explained: "We do not see any inherent benefit . . . in being outside the tent and simply being critical without having significant influence."
	 
So what exactly has Obama's "significant influence" managed to accomplish?
	 
On Friday, the council formally endorsed the noxious Goldstone Report -- which accuses America's ally, Israel, of war crimes for defending itself against an ongoing barrage of Hamas rocket and mortar attacks launched from Gaza.
	 
By a 25-6 vote -- only Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Ukraine joined Washington in voting no -- the panel referred the report to the Security Council.
	 
Next stop, in the hopes of Israel's critics: the International Criminal Court.
	 
Now, no one expected that a US presence was going to shame the Human Rights Council overnight into abandoning its blatantly anti-Semitic fixation on Israel's "abuses." But the Obama administration has now made itself part and parcel of a process that not only endangers its own anti-terrorist efforts but that could result in Israel's being hauled before the international court for the "crime" of self-defense.
	 
As Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned, "The next time, it will be the soldiers and officers of NATO in Afghanistan and then Russian soldiers and officers in Chechnya" who face criminal prosecution.
	 
Let's face it: Washington's participation on this council is unlikely to
	 everdo much good. Rather, it'll just give it credibility -- and denigrate America in the process.
	 
Fortunately, there's still a chance for a US veto of the report's recommendations at the Security Council. At this point, it's the least Washington can do.

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Six months ago, President Obama re versed his predecessor's boycott and accepted a seat for the United States on the vile UN Human Rights Council.

As UN Ambassador Susan Rice explained: "We do not see any inherent benefit . . . in being outside the tent and simply being critical without having significant influence."

So what exactly has Obama's "significant influence" managed to accomplish?

On Friday, the council formally endorsed the noxious Goldstone Report -- which accuses America's ally, Israel, of war crimes for defending itself against an ongoing barrage of Hamas rocket and mortar attacks launched from Gaza.

By a 25-6 vote -- only Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Ukraine joined Washington in voting no -- the panel referred the report to the Security Council.

Next stop, in the hopes of Israel's critics: the International Criminal Court.

Now, no one expected that a US presence was going to shame the Human Rights Council overnight into abandoning its blatantly anti-Semitic fixation on Israel's "abuses." But the Obama administration has now made itself part and parcel of a process that not only endangers its own anti-terrorist efforts but that could result in Israel's being hauled before the international court for the "crime" of self-defense.

As Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned, "The next time, it will be the soldiers and officers of NATO in Afghanistan and then Russian soldiers and officers in Chechnya" who face criminal prosecution.

Let's face it: Washington's participation on this council is unlikely to ever do much good. Rather, it'll just give it credibility -- and denigrate America in the process.

Fortunately, there's still a chance for a US veto of the report's recommendations at the Security Council. At this point, it's the least Washington can do.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Comments (13)

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augie

10/20/2009 2:38 PM

In some respects,Khadfy was right.The UN is an orgn based on WW2 victors. Today, the power is shared by nucleur weapon holders altho the UN won't recognize it..The word everyone loves is "condemned". The US condemns, the UN condemns,the Brits condemn,yada,yada..The rogue nations laugh and say -what will they do about it?-nothing..Sanctions don't work because we don't want to punish the masses..UN needs to be re-built ,hopefully in another country..Obama will subject our nation to endless ridicule by accepting blame for everything,when in reality many nations would not exist today but for us.Hope for a one term Obama is our only salvation.The USA stood for freedom but now we are laughed at due to our pres and his acceptance of every guilt known to man.
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Awamori

10/20/2009 8:22 AM

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal"(c)

The United Nations Human Rights Council's permanent obsession with Israel has nothing to do with human rights protection.
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Awamori

10/20/2009 8:20 AM

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal"(c)

The United Nations Human Rights Council's permanent obsession with Israel has nothing to do with human rights protection.
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Uncommon Sense

10/19/2009 4:58 PM

CD, where was your voice of reason during the Bush's two terms?
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windmere

10/19/2009 4:54 PM

We elected a man who is incapable of anything but brief sound bites and chicago hit em harder politics. In short, we elected someone who should have been mayor of Chicago. The lesson is clear: we are hearing a orchestra while we're being marched off a cliff. BY A LOON. Will we follow lockstep, or will we try to mitigate this buffoons quagmire by NEW CONGRESSMAN IN PLACE OF THE CURRENT CROP OF DEFICIT SETTERS!
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CD

10/19/2009 4:01 PM

Brilliant!!

Let's continue the "he ain't my president" and "he ain't my commander in chief" for future presidencies as well. Lets even have it spill over into the military ranks and service.

I want to see what the country looks like 20 years from now!
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coswriter

10/19/2009 3:22 PM

Obama's in over his head.
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tourist1

10/19/2009 1:04 PM

Israel just as every other country under terror attack has the right to defend itself. After 9/11 no one in the US didn't think that going into Afganistan might be a war crime.
Aproval of Goldstone report means that next time a country would like to defend it's citizens it should think twice, because it's in risk of being accused of war crimes.