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http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=30&si=737649&issue_id=7271 The Irish Independent April 23, 2002 US wins campaign to remove 'independent' UN arms chief -The US called the special session of the OPCW to force him out, and was supported by all European Union and Nato countries, with most of Eastern Europe and several former Soviet states. JOSE BUSTANI, the embattled director-general of the world body monitoring chemical weapons, was dismissed yesterday after member states supported a US move to oust him. Forty-eight of the 145 members of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) voted to dismiss Mr Bustani, the first head of the organisation, who was re-elected for a further four years last May. Only seven countries supported him; 43 abstained. A two-day meeting in The Hague heard accusations against him by the US, although its delegate was booed when he failed to produce promised evidence. After the vote a devastated Mr Bustani stormed out of the conference hall. The Americans accused the Brazilian head of the OPCW of a "habit of refusing to consult with member states" and cited his proposed new anti-terrorism measures after September 11 which were not first cleared with the US. The State Department called his management disastrous and blamed him for not resigning after losing a confidence vote last month. Mr Bustani gave an impassioned defence of his tenure. He called the US accusations false and said that the meeting would decide "whether genuine multiculturalism will survive, or whether it will be replaced by unilateralism in a multilateral disguise". "I refuse to resign under pressure from a handful of member states," he said. The US called the special session of the OPCW to force him out, and was supported by all European Union and Nato countries, with most of Eastern Europe and several former Soviet states. America co-sponsored Mr Bustani for re-election, but the change of administration in Washington led to a swift reappraisal. Mr Bustani said he was blamed for seeking Iraq's membership of the Chemical Weapons Convention, even though that was in accord with the UN Security Council decision. Several EU countries said privately they feared that unless they voted with the US, which pays more than a fifth of the budget, it would walk out of the UN body. (The Times, London) Michael Binyon __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games.yahoo.com/ --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
