Strange....
"Saudi Arabia rejects Security Council seat; Monarchy feels members aren’t solving problems" by Alan Cowell, Rick Gladstone and Robert F. Worth | New York Times, October 19, 2013
LONDON — Saudi Arabia stunned the United Nations and even some of its own diplomats Friday by taking the unprecedented step of rejecting a highly coveted seat on the Security Council it had won for the first time just a day earlier.
The sudden reversal was a decision made at the highest levels in the Saudi monarchy. It appeared to reflect a deep-seated anger over what the monarchy regards as a failure by the Security Council to deal effectively with the major problems in the Middle East: the Syrian war, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the influence of Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional rival.
The decision, made known in a statement issued by the Saudi Foreign Ministry and carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, seemed to suddenly invalidate extensive planning by Saudi diplomats who had expressed excitement that their country was about to assume such a prominent position.
At the least, the rejection revealed a sharp internal divide in Saudi Arabia’s hierarchy over how the oil-rich kingdom should be wielding its influence in the world....
The Saudi monarchy has expressed growing exasperation at the Security Council’s record on the conflict in Syria, where Russia and China, two of the five permanent members, have blocked Western efforts, broadly supported by Saudi Arabia, to pressure President Bashar Assad. The other permanent members are the United States, Britain, and France.
The Saudi statement came a day after Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia were elected to seats on the 15-member Security Council for a two-year term starting in January. They replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, and Togo. The seats are prized because they give officials access to high-level diplomacy and offer a rare opportunity to influence events.
Diplomats at the United Nations said they were taken aback by the Saudi move and could not recall a previous time when a member state elected to one of the nonpermanent seats had rejected it.
Saudi officials did not explain why such a reversal had been decided. But many Saudi diplomats and political observers appear to have been shocked by the decision.
The Saudis had assembled a team of seasoned diplomats in preparation for their new role, and the Saudi political elite had seemed thrilled at the prospect of a shift toward a more assertive diplomatic stance.
Late Thursday, the spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Osama Nugali, forwarded a message on his Twitter account celebrating the kingdom’s election to the Security Council and written by Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist with links to the ruling elite. Many other prominent Saudis also forwarded the message, which congratulated the kingdom for winning a seat it had sought for more than two years with the help of “a team of the best Saudi diplomats to represent the kingdom.”
“This is very bad for the image of the country,” said one Saudi political insider, who, like several others, requested anonymity because the decision was assumed to be by the king, whose judgment is rarely questioned in public. “It’s as if someone woke up in the night and made this decision. It would be one thing if the kingdom had a plan for how to act outside of the Security Council. But I don’t think there is a plan.”
Crazy King?
The United States, one of Saudi Arabia’s strongest Western allies, also appeared to be caught off guard. On Thursday evening, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, issued a statement congratulating the five new nonpermanent members. Officials at the US Mission to the United Nations had no immediate comment.
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"Security Council gets 5 new members; 2 nations backed despite troubles on human rights" by Edith M.Lederer | Associated Press, October 18, 2013
UNITED NATIONS — Saudi Arabia and Chad easily won coveted seats on the UN Security Council Thursday, despite criticism from human rights groups that their rights records are abysmal. Nigeria, Lithuania, and Chile also won seats.
The five candidates endorsed by regional groups faced no opposition because there were no contested races for the first time in several years....
Meaning Saudi agreed to assume the seat. What happened?
Security Council seats are highly coveted because they give countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security, in places such as Syria, Iran, and North Korea, as well as the UN’s far-flung peacekeeping operations....
The five countries will replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, and Togo.
Philippe Bolopion, United Nations director for Human Rights Watch, denounced the election of Chad, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia.
‘‘The prestige of a seat at the world’s foremost diplomatic table should prompt the new members to get their house in order,’’ he told the Associated Press.
‘‘Chad should put an end to the recruitment of child soldiers, which earned it a spot on the UN list of shame,’’ he said. ‘‘Saudi Arabia should end its crackdown on human rights activists and grant women their full rights.’’
Bolopion also criticized Nigeria, saying it should ‘‘end chronic abuse by security forces and better protect civilians in the north’’ from attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist network.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, accused Saudi Arabia of denying women the right to vote, drive a car, or travel without the permission of a male relative.
Related: Saudi women in top council want debate on driving
He also accused it of ‘‘praising and shielding Sudan’’ whose president, Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Neuer said Chad should not have oversight on UN peacekeeping operations as long it employs child soldiers.
The three countries did not address their critics in welcoming their victories.
Chad’s Foreign Minister Moussa Faki told reporters that election to the council is ‘‘recognition of the role of Chad in peace and security in the African region.’’ Chad has protested its inclusion in the ‘‘list of shame,’’ saying it has worked aggressively with the United Nations to end child soldier recruitment and has made significant progress.
Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said his country’s election ‘‘is a reflection of a longstanding policy in support of moderation and in support of resolving disputes by peaceful means.’’
As they supply manpower and fund raging insurgencies in Iraq and Syria.
He expressed hope that Palestine will be able to establish an independent state, which he called ‘‘the core issue of the difficulties in the Middle East.’’ He also expressed hope that the Syrian people will achieve ‘‘their aspiration for freedom and prosperity and unity.’’
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Viola Onwuliri said her country will focus on conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, mediation, the control of small arms and light weapons, terrorism, and counter-terrorism, and ‘‘the protection of all.’’
‘‘We’ll talk for Africa,’’ she said. ‘‘The African issues are the majority of issues facing the United Nations Security Council today.’’
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