February 10, 2006

Webcast of the meeting of the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (first 47 minutes only)

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Only the first part of the meeting of the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was webcast -- the part where the Secretary-General spoke and listened respectively to the rant from UN Palestinian observer, Riyad Mansour. Mansour did not mention the word 'Hamas'. Nor did he mention that the charter of Hamas includes: "The Islamic Resistance Movement consider itself to be the spearhead of the circle of struggle with world Zionism...Islamic groupings all over the Arab world should also do the same, since all of these are the best-equipped for the future role in the fight with the warmongering Jews." Instead, Mansour called the election of a government headed by such an organization a "festival of democracy." After using every ugly adjective he could dream up to condemn the Israel with which he purports to seek peace, he lauded the Committee's operations. He demanded the Committee be exempt from the review of UN mandates currently proceeding under the "reform" agenda. Mansour went on to suggest that the Committee serve as the Secretary-General's advisor on the activities of the Middle East Quartet –- hardly necessary since Annan was enjoying the speech from the podium anyway.