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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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 OPINION 
13

Gadhafi Rant: Not All Nonsense

Buried in 96-minute diatribe was a smart UN reform proposal

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(Newser) – His swine flu conspiracy theories and who-shot-JFK musings may have got the headlines, but Moammar Gadhafi actually made a few good points during his 96-minute monologue at the UN General Assembly, blogs Gideon Rachman. The Libyan colonel is totally right that the Security Council is outdated and doesn't represent the world well, and he accurately outlined the difficulties of reform: offer one country a seat and another pops right up. Unfortunately, calling it "the terror council" does tend to turn fellow UN reformers off.

Gadhafi even proposed a smart solution, giving seats to regional groups like the EU and African Union instead of individual nations. For the Financial Times columnist, "many of Gadhafi’s statements, which will be scorned in the West, actually probably resonate in the developing world." In fact, when talking about Security Council reform the colonel sounded a lot like Lula—although the president of Brazil doesn't get introduced as "king of kings and father of the revolution."

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi speaks at the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi speaks at the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi walks down the aisle to speak at the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi walks down the aisle to speak at the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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He looks strangely youthful for a man who seized power in 1969—but youthful in an eerie, artificial way that reminded me a bit of Michael Jackson. He’s definitely had 'work' done. But then that is true of a lot of people
in New York. -

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13 comments
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Fondue
Sep 24, 09 8:54 AM CDT
I guess if you talk long enough, something is bound to click. Just ask Beck. I do like the idea of giving regional groups a seat, it is the "United" Nations after all, and the EU is a group of united nations and so is the AU. Reply
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justleaveme
Sep 24, 09 9:02 AM CDT
Yeah, I agree but even the EU won't want their own seat. Right now they have 2 permanent members (read 2 votes) on the Security Council (and additionally an EU representative is often allowed to sit in on discussions). His speech in this regard should not be translated as anything less than Ghadafi, (as the President of the AU) wanting his own seat on the Security Council------which will NEVER happen.
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IN RESPONSE:
dontlikeyou
Sep 24, 09 11:19 AM CDT
New World Order, step by step.
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IN RESPONSE:
jagerhans
Sep 24, 09 12:09 PM CDT
«even a broken clock is right two times a day» (Pitigrilli)
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+2
justleaveme
Sep 24, 09 8:55 AM CDT
I'm sorry but this still gives Gadhafi too much credit. The points that he brought up at the GA (in relation to the Security Council) are very much well known and discussed. At University if you take any class on International Organizations or the United Nations you learn that the Security Council is a monopoly of power that was bore out of the Cold War. The problem is that in order for the United Nations to have any real power it needs the Security Council members. You will not see any of the major powers cede any of their sovereignty (which they are very much able to protect with the use of their veto powers) to the UN any time soon which is what dissolving the SC would do. Want to know of some original Ghadafi recommendations in regards to global policy? How about his recommendation that the sovereign country of Switzerland should be divided amongst France, Germany, and Italy by the United Nations. This guy is a crazy buffoon. Reply
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