Richard Woolcott's suspicion (The Age, 21/1) that an "underside to our image" is the cause of Australia's failure to be elected into the UN Security Council, is complete and utter hogwash.
As a former ambassador to the United Nations, he should well know the real reason we can't get in has absolutely nothing to do with Iraq, David Hicks, Vivian Alvarez Solon or even "police dog squads and horse patrols on Sydney beaches."
Instead, in the world of violence and conflict, we're just not significant.
Look at this year's new council members, Congo, Ghana, Peru, Qatar, and Slovakia-- all countries very close geographically, historically and politically to some of the world's bloodiest conflict.
And that's why they're elected into the UN Security Council.
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And hello to everyone who came here through today's www.crikey.com.au subscriber bulletin thingy.
Before you leave, check out my postings on Australian mining company Anvil's escapades in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Interesting and disturbing stuff.
Here and here.
In October of 2005 the UN security council 'recognised' the links between the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of Congo with ongoing illicit arms traffiking. It also 'welcomed' the investigation into sex crimes and 'urged' troop-contributing countries to to take appropriate preventitive measures including (and this is my favourite part) predeployment awareness training. Anvil must be so pleased, they can rest easy that so much is being done to assist and protect the women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. who wouldn't want to do business there?
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