Iraq to chair U.N. disarmament conference

[Jason Kauppinen]

Iraq to chair U.N. disarmament conference From Richard Roth CNN New York Bureau Wednesday, January 29, 2003 Posted: 6:49 AM EST (1149 GMT)

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Iraq will chair the United Nations' most important disarmament negotiating forum during the panel's May session.

At the rules-minded United Nations, it's not a country's status with international weapons inspectors, but the letters in its name that determine which member state chairs the Conference on Disarmament.

"The irony is overwhelming," a U.S. diplomat said.

Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Monday delivered their 60-day report on the status of weapons inspections in Iraq. It was a less-than-glowing summary, with both men saying Baghdad is not cooperating with inspectors and is not being forthcoming on disclosing information about its weapons programs.

Iraq will take its turn as the head of the conference, a U.N. spokesman said, because of a "purely automatic rotation by alphabetical order."

Therefore, joining Iraq as co-chair for the session in Geneva, Switzerland, will be Iran.

Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/01/28/sprj.irq.disarmament.conference/index.html

[stevem]

Let's see if I have this straight. Iraq leads disarmament, Lybia leads human rights, France has veto power on the Security Council...

There has to be some reason to belong to that worthless organization???

[saluki_in_ohio]

It is time to end our involvement with the UN. They are just as toothless as the League of Nations of old.

[Centurion2000]

bump ..... this is the Onion right ?

[Jason Kauppinen]

Nope

[JoeSixPack1]

It's official. The entire world has gone completely insane.

[Kev-Head]

It's time to get out of the UN. It is gettin weird there in NY.

[goldstategop]

Yup.. its not a gag. Really. ;-)

[Jason Kauppinen]

Check the link.

[demkicker]

I'm glad this is getting more coverage, but it's been posted here and here. I really recommend the 2nd one. Its one of Krauthammer's best.

[cavtrooper21]

Fox in the henhouse!

[RummyChick]

This is so damn idiotic that I thought it was a joke. Well I guess the NEW iraq can chair it because by then Saddam should be dead or MIA

[noutopia]

This has to be a joke,right?

[PhiKapMom]

There has to be some reason to belong to that worthless organization???

None that I can think of!

[Mr. Mojo]

Let's see if I have this straight. Iraq leads disarmament, Lybia leads human rights, France has veto power on the Security Council...

And, if I remember correctly, the U.S. was kicked off the UN "Human Rights" Council to make room for Sudan.