We are amused, said Her Majesty.
According to the Associated Press, the new United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, has found himself in a bit of a pinch regarding the UN's reaction to the execution of Saddam Hussein.
Mr. Ban, who replaced Kofi Annan earlier this year, did not follow the Annan policy of frequent mention of the UN's opposition to capital punishment. In response to a reporter's question earlier today, Mr. Ban stated, "Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against Iraqi people and we should never forget victims of his crime," "The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide."
It appears that the UN press corps began asking whether there had been a change in policy based upon this statement. The spokesman for the Secretary-General, Michele Montas, denied any changes of policy while Ban himself noted that it was a personal nuance of his. Mrs. Montas' remarks included a reiteration of the UN's stance, but noted that states retain their own methods of applying laws regarding capital punishment.
Well, at least she recognizes a sliver of sovereignty. Perhaps it will be interesting to see what other nuances that Mr. Ban is capable of.
Posted by Country Pundit at January 2, 2007 09:20 PM | TrackBack