US Ambassador Refuses To Comment CableGate Spying Revelations, UN Looking For Answers

US Ambassador Susan Rice declined to comment on the authenticity of the State Department cables released by Wikileaks yesterday that show American diplomats were directed to collect personal information like credit card numbers, passwords and even biometrics information from Security Council members and top UN officials such as Ban Ki Moon.

“Our diplomats are doing what diplomats do around the world every day, which is build relationships , negotiate, advance our interests and work to find common solutions to complex problems. Thats what they do. And they do it extremely well, with great  integrity with hard work.” said Rice, “I’m not going to get in to commenting on classified material or alleged classified material and its contents . “

Rice was also unwilling to speak about the damage the cables might have on American diplomacy at the UN, and instead tried to highlight the Obama administration’s efforts at strengthening the US participation within the world body.”This has been a time when the United States, under president Obama’s leadership, has made enormous progress in repairing and rebuilding our relationships with partners and allies around the world.”

The Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the UN could not comment  on the authenticity of the documents but noted that the organization relied on member states to adhere to the UN Charter, Headquarter Agreements and 1946 Convention that protect UN property and assets as inviolable. 

Haq says the Secretary General was informed of contents of the cable by Ambassador Rice before they were released by Wikileaks yesterday and that the UN would further investigate the claims.”Certainly we will need further information on this and we will respond as appropriate. We will talk to our US counter parts at various level, but at this stage, I don’t have precise details” said Haq

Secretary of State Clinton Calls On American Public To Help Pakistan Flood Victims

  The Pakistan floods will be the greatest test of global solidarity of our time, United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki Moon told the General Assembly during a donors conference for the embattled country today in New York. The Secretary General returned this week from a trip to Pakistan where he got a first hand look at of the scope of the destruction. 

 “The eyes see, the ears hear, yet somehow the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter , food and emergency care, more than the entire population hit by the Indian ocean tsunami” said Ban, who described the flood  as a  “slow motion tsunami”.

 Ban says at least 460 million dollars will be needed to address basic needs over the next 90 days, and although over half of the funds have already been met by pledges, Ban says there is no time to spare.

“All of these resources are needed and they are needed now. Your pledges today must be followed up by action, action that delivers change on the ground.”

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also announced the US would pledge another 60 million dollars to Pakistan and revealed the creation of the Pakistani Relief Fund, a mechanism designed to facilitate public financial donations to flood victims. Americans will be able  contribute 10$ to the cause by text messaging “FLOOD” to 27722 or downloading a donation form on the State Department website in order mail their contribution.

 “The United States has and continues to take swift action to help. But governments cannot be alone in helping the people of Pakistan” Clinton said in a statement released earlier today. 

The past three weeks of rain and flooding have left nearly 20% of the country submerged, destroyed the country’s infrastructure and most of its crops and farm land.

With nearly 70% of its population employed in agriculture and over 1 billion dollars in crops destroyed,Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi says his country, the sixth most populated in the world, now faces serious food insecurity. Qureshi also fears Pakistan’s infrastructure  will not be able to sustain the large number of people forced to migrate from flood affected areas to larger cities and expects the situation to get worse as the rain and waves of flooding continue.

Elizabeth Urges UN To Rise To Global Challenges

In her first address at the United Nations in more than 50 years,  Queen Elizabeth II lauded the UN’s growth and achievements over the past half century but also called on delegates and diplomats to keep sight of their commitment to the organizations principles and strengthen cooperation among member states.

“When I was first here there were just three UN operations overseas. Now over 120 000 men and women are deployed in 26 missions across the world. You have helped to reduce conflict, you have offered humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies and you have been deeply committed to tackling the effects of poverty in many parts of the world. But so much remains to be done…”

The Queen’s last appearance at the United Nations General Assembly was in 1957, a time when fallout from the Korean War, Cold War tensions and decolonization highlighted the fractured relationships among  member states. This afternoon, Elizabeth II emphasized the UN’s ability to adapt and overcome past challenges. She identified terrorism and climate change as the world body’s new test.

“In my lifetime , the UN has moved from being a high minded aspiration to being a real force for common good. That of itself has been a signal achievement, but we are not gathered here to reminisce. In tomorrow’s world we must all work together as hard as ever if we are truly to be United Nations…”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon also addressed delegates, thanking the Queen for her leadership as the head of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, noting that the four largest providers of peacekeeping troops are Commonwealth countries.

“In a changing and turning world, you are an anchor for our age, your reign spans the decades, from the challenges of the cold war to the threat of global warming, from the Beatles to Beckham, from the television to twitter, you have become a living symbol of grace, constancy and dignity”

This is the first time the Queen has been in New York since the bicentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1976. She is also scheduled to visit Ground Zero later this evening.

UN Inquiry Fails To Explain Death of American in Afghanistan

The circumstances surrounding the death of Louis Maxwell, a former US marine who worked as a UN security guard in Afghanistan, remain vague, even though there is "a strong sense" he might have been killed by Afghan forces, says Susana Malcorra, UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support.

In October 2009, Taliban insurgents disguised as Afghan police officers raided a UN guest house, killing five staff members and blowing themselves up. During the attack, Maxwell was able to take position on the roof and open fire on the attackers, allowing dozens of UN staff to escape out the back door.

At the time, reports suggested Maxwell had been killed by insurgents responsible for the attack, but recently released amateur video footage shows Maxwell standing next to Afghan security forces after the attack, before collapsing to the ground from what seems to be a gun shot.

Although Malcorra was able to confirm that the authenticity of the video, she says that forensic reports suggest the shot that killed Maxwell was taken from a distance, not at close range as some have suggested after seeing the video.

Malcorra says the inquiry determined that three of the staff members were killed by friendly fire while trying to escape, and a fourth died from the explosion and resulting flames. Yet Maxwell's death remains unexplained, as, unlike the four other dead UN staff members, he was found outside the house.

"It is not clear how Mr. Maxwell was killed in the middle of that very complicated situation" said Malcorra, "Exchange of fire was performed from both sides , neither one of the sides knew exactly who was atttacking the other one. It was a very confusing situation."

Malcorra also reaffirmed the board of inquiry's independence, adding that Afghan officials had fully cooperated with the investigation and that the FBI was working on its own investigation.

Bipartisan Letter Sent To Obama Urges Strong Sanctions Against Iran

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Bipartisan support was shown Wednesday in a letter sent to President Barack Obama urging him to put “crippling” sanctions on Iran to stop the prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.

“Without a doubt, Iran’s nuclear weapons program poses a severe threat to America’s national interest,” said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL.) in a press appearance with Republican colleagues.

The sanctions would place strict regulations on Iran which would stop the country from acquiring nuclear materials as well as keep the nation from becoming “a more dangerous, destabilizing and destructive force in the world,” according to Jackson.

While the United Nations is currently focusing on applying sanctions against the country, Rep. Illeana Ros-Lethinen (R-Fl.) hopes the leter prompts faster action.

“We are repeating the failures of the past and continuing to let Iran run out the clock. We can’t wait for consensus on watered-down resolutions at the United Nations Security Council,” said Ros-Lethinen.

The letter was signed by 361 House members.