U.N. Moves to Disassociate Itself From Remarks by Envoy to Iraq

Even the U.N. is embarassed by remarks made by a racist from Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, and moved today to disassociate the organization from damning remarks about Israel and American policy in the Middle East made by this "special envoy" to Iraq

I'm stunned. Not at Arab racism towards Jews and Israel, because that's a known fact; I'm stunned at the U.N. for behaving like a civilized entity, composed of humans.

The action was prompted by a radio interview in Paris Wednesday in which Mr. Brahimi said that Israel's repressive policy and Washington's support for it were poisoning the Middle East and aggravating the situation in Iraq.

Secretary General Kofi Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said that Mr. Brahimi was speaking as a private individual, not as a United Nations official.

Arye Mekel, Israel's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said he questioned the explanation that Mr. Brahimi was speaking just for himself. "We don't think that when senior U.N. officials speak publicly, anyone will accept it as a private opinion," he said.

"Such statements put into question the objectivity of the U.N.," he said.

Mr. Mekel said that Israel had not yet decided on its official reaction to Mr. Brahimi's action, but he said that the mission was being encouraged to mount a formal protest by Jewish organizations and members of Congress.

U.N. Moves to Disassociate Itself From Remarks by Envoy to Iraq