June 9, 2005

AMERICA/BRAZIL/INDIA/ENGLAND/AUSTRALIA/KENYA:

U.S. firm in rebuff of German bid at UN (Steven R. Weisman, 6/09/05, The New York Times)

The Bush administration, in a move that is straining relations with the government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, has once again rebuffed Germany's bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, American and European officials said Wednesday.

The officials said that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice relayed the U.S. position anew to the German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, on Wednesday, suggesting that expansion of the Security Council was secondary in importance to other reforms, such as streamlining management at the United Nations.

There're already two European nations too many.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 9, 2005 10:05 AM
Comments

They really can't seem to decide whether the EU is one nation or many, can they? Germany voted for this EU Constitution; seems like they should be demanding to share the Security Council seats of other EU members, not getting their own.

Posted by: John Thacker at June 9, 2005 11:07 AM

If Germany really wants that Security Council seat, why don't they can get it their traditional way, by occupying France? (And if the European Union really does come about, not only should France and the UK lose their Security Council seates, there should be 24 fewer countries in the General Assembly, too.)

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at June 9, 2005 12:17 PM

If this comes about, I move that Alaska, Colotado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming and Vermont be accepted as well.

Scratch Vermont. They're already represented quite well by France.

Posted by: obc at June 9, 2005 12:35 PM

Guam, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands (and possibly Puerto Rico) too!

Posted by: Dave W. at June 9, 2005 12:40 PM

I think that we should support Germany on the condition that they replace France on UNSC

Posted by: AML at June 9, 2005 2:40 PM

Its like the good old days when the Soviets had Ukraine and Beyolrus as members of the UN. We were supposed to ignore that they had 3 votes and the US, but one.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at June 9, 2005 2:50 PM

Kenya? Inspired choice. I can just imagine the world holding its breath wondering whether Kenya will veto the next war. It would be especially picaresque if two-thirds of it were occupied by Uganda.

Posted by: Peter B at June 9, 2005 8:09 PM
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