While much of the mainstream U.S. media has blamed North Korea for any problems that develop in the six-party talks, a surprisingly significant article (1) has appeared in the Washington Post documenting part of the problem that has led to the recent breakdown in negotiations and which threatens to end the six-party talk process if it isn’t reversed.

The article, which should be a front page story, instead appears on page 20 and has drawn little attention. The article by Glenn Kessler documents the hostile U.S. State Department environment that has eroded the process of negotiation with North Korea. It describes how U.S. hardliners fashioned a verification procedure to be imposed on North Korea which was, in the words of an expert in nuclear disarmament, akin to “a license to spy on any military site they (North Korea) have.”

Overruling Christopher Hill, the Assistant Secretary of State who has been the… weiter lesen

Here we go again it seems. Once again the mainstream media is promoting the need to support the investment bankers and their brokers in the Federal Reserve to bail them out. Just like the old “Weapons of  Mass Destruction” claims of catastrophe that were the pretext for the U.S. government to invade Iraq, the “we are on the verge of catastrophe” claims are being used as a pretext to turn unbridled political power from the U.S. Congress over to the private sector folks and their promoters at the U.S. federal reserve bank.

The bill is a simple one. No regulation. Unlimited money, though for now the amount seems to be capped, but of course once more is needed, it has to be made available. The White House says its needed. Congress is promising to pass it.  No analysis of the problem. No hearings to understand what is wrong and how it happened. Instead… weiter lesen

Though there was little coverage in the mainstream media, this past week there were further developments in the security council reform issue as the General Assembly in a late night meeting on September 15, passed on the issue of Security Council reform to the 63rd session and put dates for going into intergovernmental negotiations in the resolution.
 
There is an detailed update on what happened on Monday,  on www.centerforunreform.org  providing a rare account of the events that took place in the Open Ended Working Group in order to be able to pass a resolution so that the issue of Security Council reform could be passed on to the 63rd session of the General Assembly which began the following day. 

The following excerpt is from “Member States Renew Mandate for Working Group on Security Council Reform after Intense Discussions” by Jonas von Freiesleben, 16 September 2008

On Monday Afternoon, September 15, 2008

“… Kerim announced that… weiter lesen

The critical need for Security Council reform is being expressed by a number of nations at the UN, as the 62^nd session comes to an end and the 63^rd session of the General Assembly gets underway. Describing this urgency, Philippines Ambassador to the UN, Hilario Davide told the Security Council Open Debate on its Working Methods held in late August:

 “Calls for changes and reforms in the Security Council are becoming louder and stronger. In due course, it may even become irresistible,”

 (Security Council meeting, August 27, 2008, S/PV.5968 Resumption 1, p. 8, and longer statement distributed by Ambassador at meeting) (1)

 I – Problem of Equitable Expansion of Security Council Facing Council

 The 61^st session of the General Assembly ended on September… weiter lesen