( ...wonder what AIPAC's stand on this issue was... ) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is boycotting a U.N. conference on racism next week over a document that "singles out" Israel in its criticism and conflicts with the nation's "commitment to unfettered free speech," the U.S. State Department said Saturday. The Congressional Black Caucus criticized the boycott, saying President Obama's decision "set the cause back." The Obama administration made the decision not to attend the Durban Review Conference in Geneva "with regret," a State Department statement said. Two months ago, the administration had warned that it would boycott the conference if changes were not made to the document to be adopted by the conference. In recent weeks, discussions over the document have fueled several revisions, but the changes to the language didn't meet U.S. expectations, the statement said. The current draft is "significantly improved," but "it now seems certain these remaining concerns will not be addressed in the document to be adopted by the conference next week." State Department officials say the document contains language that reaffirms the Durban Declaration and Programme of Actions from the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa, which the United States has said it won't support. The 2001 document "prejudges key issues that can only be resolved in negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians," the statement said. Disagreements over the Middle East and slavery that year had threatened to derail the conference goal of creating a global blueprint for fighting discrimination. At the time, Israel had said it was disappointed so much of the conference had focused on its relations with Palestinians. The Obama administration also said recent additions to the document regarding "incitement" contradict the United States' stance on free speech. Still, the United States "will continue to work assiduously" with all nations "to combat bigotry and end discrimination," the statement said. Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus said it was "deeply dismayed" by the decision made by the nation's first African-African president, saying it was inconsistent with administration policies. "Had the United States sent a high-level delegation reflecting the richness and diversity of our country, it would have sent a powerful message to the world that we're ready to lead by example," the statement said. "Instead, the administration opted to boycott the conference, a decision that does not advance the cause of combating racism and intolerance, but rather sets the cause back."
The Congressional Black Caucus criticized the boycott, saying President Obama's decision "set the cause back." ------------------------------------------- :eek:
Don't you know the real man in charge, little Emanuel put a stop to that. He's all for it unless it applies to him.
A few other countries considering themselves as democratic left the anty-racism conference: Germany, Italy, Poland, New Zealand, Italy, Holland.
Boycotted: Germany, Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and the United States Walked out: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, St. Kitts and Nevis
Poetic justice? Jews created the multicultural movement to combat racism in the West but now the movement is turning against them. The same thing happened to them in the early days of communist Russia. http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Embrace-Jews-State/dp/0226296660 In the end, the secrets to happiness is to work towards establishing a quiet life in a nice home with a picket fence, not funding and driving radical movements. What goes around comes around.
Wow that dude's face got messed up. No way is it on purpose though. There is no way to aim those things at anyone. He put himself there.
You think the actual broadcast was aired in Iran, or did they splice the representatives walking out with old Un footage of delegates clapping in approval? I think most iranians, if they were to see the actual footage, would then understand their leader is bad for their country. He has devoted his presidency to make the world aware of the evil of Israel, instead of trying to fix a collapsing economy. People would see that and think "great, not he's alienating more countries". He's just a really bad leader.