UN Members Back Annan with Lengthy Standing Ovation

[maddezmom]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) received an unusual standing ovation in the 191-nation General Assembly on Wednesday following calls for his resignation from conservative U.S. lawmakers.


Reuters Photo



Annan has been accused by some Republicans in the U.S. Congress of presiding over corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq (news - web sites), administered by the United Nations (news - web sites) but supervised by the 15-nation Security Council.


"I interpret this long ovation as an acknowledgment of your actions and also an expression of confidence in yourself and also of the work you have undertaken at the helm of the United Nations," Assembly President Jean Ping of Gabon said after the applause, which lasted nearly a minute.


"In a world that is held hostage to doubt, by confusion and at times to confrontation, you have always remained a point of reference as well as a source of wisdom and of inspiration for millions of individuals worldwide," Ping said.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=4&u=/nm/20041208/wl_nm/un_annan_dc

:)

[gottaB]

1. rate it up to help thwart the Birchies

and their strange bedfellows

[Rose Siding]

2. "It was merely a sign of respect," a U.S. official said.

"Merely", said the MERE US official

[Delphinus]

3. Haha, Rose Siding ... love it! n/t

[neweurope]

4. *applauds Annan*

(and the person who put this here) :)

[Old and In the Way]

5. I guess the whole world and 1/2 of the US are all crooks.

Only honest people are in the Republican Party.

Riiiiight.

[KittyWampus]

9. Not Even, It's Half Of The VOTING Public In America That Support Bush

[maddezmom]

6. best parts:

~snip~

Most of the corruption revealed so far involves illegal transfers or smuggling of oil, which the Security Council, including the United States, knew about and controlled.

~snip~

[Just Me]

7. He deserved it. He's a uniter,...not a divider.

Fascists HATE people like Annan.

[quaoar]

8. That's really weird

I heard CNN report this afternoon that they were watching to see if he got a standing ovation and that he did NOT.

I guess CNN was too busy defending Rumsfeld today to double-check the UN story.

[cosmicdot]

10. gave Mr. Annan a "5"

3.24 with 90 votes

now, why are there mean-spirited people out there rating this down? I mean, I expect its the same people who work so hard to deprive Americans from the right to vote ... why do they hate us for our Freedoms?

[yorkiemommie1]

11. read and rated '5' n/t

good article. thanks!