Kofi Annan Agrees with Deputy's Anti-American Comments
In Kofi Annan
Little Green Footballs
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gets all up in John Bolton’s face, and agrees with the anti-American remarks made by his Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown at a meeting of transnational progressives: Annan rejects US plea that he repudiate his deputy.
<<< UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan refused on Wednesday a U.S. demand that he repudiate his deputy for accusing Washington of relying on the United Nations but failing to defend it against domestic critics.
An outraged U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, while not demanding the resignation of U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, called his remarks “a very very grave mistake.”
“Even though the target of the speech was the United States, the victim, I fear, will be the United Nations,” Bolton told reporters after speaking with Annan. ...
Bolton accused Malloch Brown of employing “a condescending, patronizing tone about the American people” and said, “My hope is he looks at the potential adverse effects that these intemperate remarks would have on the organization and repudiate it.”
Annan, however, agrees with his deputy’s views, U.N. chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.“The secretary-general stands by the statements made by his deputy. So there is no question of any action to be taken against the deputy secretary-general,” he said. >>>
UPDATE at 6/7/06 7:13:56 pm:
For the record, here are some of Malloch Brown’s most offensive statements, since Reuters doesn’t include them with this article about the growing controversy:
<<< Mr. Malloch Brown said that although the United States was constructively engaged with the United Nations in many areas, the American public was shielded from knowledge of that by Washington’s tolerance of what he called “too much unchecked U.N.-bashing and stereotyping.”
“Much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News,” he said. >>>
Malloch Brown, meanwhile, continues to violate the first rule of holes:
<<< By “stealth diplomacy,” Malloch Brown said he meant Washington’s practice of looking for U.N. support to deal with global hot spots without letting the U.S. heartland know, while allowing conservative U.N.-bashers to attack the world body without offering any defense.
“The U.N.’s role is in effect a secret in middle America even as it is highlighted in the Middle East and other parts of the world,” he said.
The United States is working through the United Nations in the dispute over Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. But memories are still fresh in the world body of how the United States and its allies disregarded the United Nations in the decision to invade Iraq in 2003.
Malloch Brown later said he meant the speech as “pro-U.S.,” meant to appeal for “more consistent public leadership at the United Nations.” His views were not uncommon in diplomatic circles, he said. >>>
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