Kofi Annan — International Embarrassment:

25 Jun, 2002 by John Hawkins

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Kofi Annan — International Embarrassment: For the people out there who thought Bush’s speech was too soft on the Palestinians, keep in mind that things could be a lot worse — Kofi Annan could be running the show…

“Secretary-General Kofi Annan ( news – web sites) opposed President George W. Bush ( news – web sites)’s call for Yasser Arafat ( news – web sites)’s ouster, declaring Tuesday that the Palestinian people must choose their own leaders.

He also echoed a warning from former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who headed a commission that developed the peacemaking plan the Bush administration has been following, that replacement of Arafat could backfire.

Bush said elections should be held by the end of the year for a legislature, but Annan said conditions for elections are not “optimal.”

“You could find yourself in a situation that the radicals are the ones that get elected, and it would be the result of a democratic process and we have to accept that,” he said.

So here we have the head of the United Nations publicly OPPOSING Democratic elections in a terrorist supporting dictatorship because having someone from Hamas or Islamic Jihad running the show instead of Arafat would make things worse. How so? Does Kofi think they wouldn’t be as much fun at UN cocktail parties as Arafat perhaps? Besides that, and the fact that a Hamas run government would probably be honest about wanting to murder Israelis, I don’t see what difference changing the terrorist in charge of the Palestinian government would make. But Annan continues…

“A timeframe of three years was indicated — and I think it is important that it is done in a reasonable timeframe or else people will lose hope again”

Annan seems to be willfully twisting something Bush said here. Bush said it “agreement could be reached within three years from now”, not that a Palestinian state will be created in three years. Quite frankly, I think the Palestinians have about as much chance of changing from a bunch of modern day Aztecs into a Islamic Sweden in three years as Eminem has of having a menage a trois with Christina Aguilera and Lynne Cheney. In short, it’s theoretically possible, but highly unlikely. Of course, leave it to Annan to pack more stupidity into one public statement…

“There’s been a call for a new Palestinian leadership. What happens between now and until the new leadership exists? Do we work with the government that we have, or do we create a vacuum? These are issues that I think are on everybody’s mind and we need to work out,” he said.

Actually that issue isn’t on Bush or Sharon’s mind because they’ve correctly decided that it’s impossible to work with Arafat and the PA. So yes, there is going to be a vacuum created and it will only last longer if the Palestinians don’t have elections by the end of the year. Last but not least, Annan finishes with this line..

“Annan reiterated that “with the situation on the ground eroding by the day,” the international community must work swiftly with the parties to move forward toward a negotiated settlement.”

It’s as if Bush never even gave a speech and Annan’s previous statements didn’t occur. Now he’s apparently talking about having the Israelis negotiate under fire with the Pals for a state that’ll be coming “swiftly.” Since the Palestinians certainly wouldn’t settle for anything less than a state, and Arafat is their current leader, that has to be what Annan is really talking about right? Why do so many people pay attention to this clown?