The two deadbeat nations pushing for Guatemala's seat on the UN Security Council have not paid their UN dues for 2006.

October 17, 2006 -- The two (deadbeat) nations pushing for Guatemala's seat on the UN Security Council have not paid their UN dues for 2006. As of October 16, the day the General Assembly vote on the Latin American Security Council seat commenced, neither the United States nor Israel have anted up their annual dues payments, according to the Office of the Secretary General. Venezuela made its dies payment of $2,918,283 on Sept. 18, 2006. Guatemala paid $511,979 on June 15, 2006. Most of Venezuela's backers also paid their dues, which indicates that Venezuela provides greater support for the UN system than does the Bush administration and its neocon allies around the world.

United States and Israel try to strong arm UN General Assembly, but both are deadbeat nations on UN dues payments.

Belarus $307,187; Bolivia $153,594; Russian Federation $18,772,580; Cuba $733,838; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya $2,252,709; China $35,036,460; Egypt $2,047,917; Qatar $1,092,223; United Arab Emirates $4,010,506.

The Dominican Republic, which has been mentioned as a compromise candidate, is ineligible for the Security Council because it has not paid its 2006 dues. Two other "compromise" candidates are also not eligible because of lack of dues payment: Costa Rica and Panama.

Only those nations that provide financial support for the UN should be determining the membership of the Security Council. At the present time, these countries do not include the United States, Israel, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, or Panama.



Bolton brings Florida 2000 politics to the UN

October 17, 2006 -- Bolton invokes Florida 2000 in General Assembly battle for UN Security Council seat. Speaking after several rounds of UN General Assembly votes resulted in repeated deadlocks between Venezuela and U.S.-backed Guatemala for a two-year, non-permanent Security Council seat, unconfirmed US ambassador to the UN John Bolton invoked the specter of the Florida 2000 presidential election:

"I think it’s very clear there’s a candidate with a strong predominant vote . . .All I can say is that in the year 2000, I spent 31 days in Florida. This has just begun." What Bolton failed to mention is that the Florida 2000 election was plagued with electoral fraud and the denial of voting rights.

It is clear that in its support for Guatemala, the Bush administration is using every means at its disposal, including National Security Agency/UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) "surge" eavesdropping against 190 UN missions. A similar NSA/GCHQ surge surveillance operation in January and February 2003 against UN Security Council members prior to a vote on the Council's unsuccessful Iraq war resolution was revealed by GCHQ analyst Katharine Gun, who reportedly acted with a "wink and nod" from members of Tony Blair's Cabinet.

There are 192 members, however, the United States and Israel closely coordinate their activities at the UN and WMR has learned that the diplomatic pressure being brought by the two nations on some of the world's smallest and poorest nations not to support Venezuela in the General Assembly has been unprecedented. The U.S. and Israeli arm twisting has been most evident among African and Pacific nations. General Assembly voting resumes this morning. Between 122 and 125 votes are needed by either Venezuela or Guatemala to secure the Security Council seat.

Although Guatemala is a client state of the United States, it is also a longtime recipient of Israeli security and military aid, much of which has been used to commit genocide against Guatemala's indigenous population. Many of Guatemala's leaders are members of evangelical and charismatic Protestant churches, which mirror the pro-Israeli policies of their U.S. counterparts. The disconnect between Guatemala's ruling elite and its native and mestizo citizens and the fact that Venezuela's government is highly representative of its population are highlighted by the names of the top three official of both nations. [source CIA Factbook]:


The AP is reporting today that Guatemalan Foreign Minister Rosenthal became testy when asked about the United States and another nation pulling the strings for Guatemala. He said, "frankly we resent it a bit being told we are going to toe the line of not only the United States but any other power."