Baker resigns as UN peace envoy

[Dover]

Baker resigns as UN peace envoy


Saturday 12 June 2004, 6:09 Makka Time, 3:09 GMT

Former US Secretary of State James Baker has resigned as the UN's special envoy to Western Sahara after efforts to resolve the disputed territory's future failed.

Baker, deeply frustrated by his inability to end the impasse during his seven year tenure, told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan of his intention to resign several days ago, but the Security Council was not formally notified until Friday, UN diplomats said.

Annan named Baker as his personal troubleshooter on the contentious dispute in March 1997.

The fate of the vast northwest African territory of about 260,000 people, rich in phosphates and also believed to have offshore oil deposits, has been contested since Morocco
seized it in 1975, immediately after it won independence from colonial power Spain.

The UN has been involved in efforts to resolve the dispute for 13 years...cont'd

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/518153F7-00AB-4D91-833A-043B12A2E2D1.htm

[FlemingsGhost]

1. I smell a rat.

Take notice when "The Fixer" makes a move.

Let's see where he surfaces, shall we?

[Disturbed]

2. Representing Saudi Regime

from a law suit by some 911 Attack family members who lost loved ones?

[Tellurian]

14. Yup, I smelled it too...

Baby Bush lawyering up, once again!

[0007]

3. I guess in the interest of the Carlyle Group, O' dickface

will be firing up his energy to protect junior from going to prison.

[dmr]

4. It appears this story was released to only to Right Wing sources

I Googled and Yahoo'd this around 7 this morning because I couldn't find this story in the NYTimes.

Here is the list of news sources I found this in: Washington Times, Luccinane, Arabic News, Al Jeezera, Billings Gazette and Yahoo, but where in Yahoo? Get this: in the Entertainment - Reuters Celebrity/Gossip!!

Talk about laying low!! NO MAJOR NEWS SOURCES?!?! They released this story to the right-wing sources first.

Very interesting.

[SayitAintSo]

5. Dang ... you're good .... but what does that really mean ? n/t

[dusty64]

7. I don't know, but

it definitely makes ya wonder what they are planning now.

[NJCher]

8. slip it by without a critical question being asked

Would be my answer to that.

Thanks for the Google, dmr. It says so much. And what kind of excuse is that--no progress, frustration? A winner never quits, isn't that what the old saying says?


Cher

[Fovea]

22. It means we have a deal with Morocco.

And perhaps maybe Libya is not so happy with that.

[Demeter]

15. It was on NPR this morning

[mom cat]

17. Since when is Al Jeezera a right-wing news source?????

Outside of that, your post was very informative.

[dmr]

27. You're right

I shouldn't have lumped it in with the others. I was taken aback finding that it was not in any way mainstream, but right-wingish, sans Al Jeezera. I should have my coffee before I start posting!
:)

[Democat]

6. Maybe he's being called home to focus on stealing the U.S. election?

Totally untrustable.

[hedda_foil]

9. There was a rumor involving Baker replacing Rove

A few weeks ago, I read an article which mentioned the possibility that Baker might be called in to replace Rove if *'s numbers didn't improve. Sorry I can't recall the source but it was posted on DU so perhaps someone else can find the link.

[Spazito]

10. Whenever bush #1's little boy is in trouble, daddy calls in the "fixer"...

Baker has been pulling Dubya's fat out of the fire for years. I only hope the "fixer" is as effective as Condi is as the "unsticker" in Iraq.

[TahitiNut]

11. At a minimum, the BFEE Consigliore ...

... will work on the pardons list that'll be emitted from the bowels of this corrupt cabal some time in January.

[loudsue]

12. Rumor has it Rove will do the Frog March on the Plame outing

I thought bush had brought back Karen Hughes to take Rove's place, but I'm thinking that maybe bush needs extra "lawyering", since the Plame investigation have already had him lawyer-up. So, when Rove goes, Karen Hughes may not be enough to dodge the bullets.

Baker would see to it that shrub doesn't get indicted before the election.

:kick::kick::kick:

[johnfunk]

13. James Baker's miserable failure

"Fixing" national elections? A cinch! But real diplomacy? Fuhgedaboudit.

OTOH, maybe Kofi should have called on a real negotiator-conciliator -- say, Bill Clinton. Dollars to doughnuts, the outcome would have been 100% different.

[FlemingsGhost]

16. Kick (n/t)

Dems

[grasswire]

18. who knew?

....who knew he even had this position??

He also has a special job getting nations to reduce Iraq's debt. What else?

Rot in hell, Baker.

[mike1963]

19. Jeez, I never knew it either...he must've taken a li'l "vacation" to help

steal the 2000 election...
:grr:

[KoKo]

29. They said since 1997 he's been a special UN envoy? That's

news to me! Another secret job for Baker...Makes me think less of Kofi Annan that he would have appointed Baker.

[dArKeR]

20. UN special envoy on Western Sahara quits

By Irwin Arieff

New York - Former American Secretary of State James Baker has resigned as the United Nations' special envoy for Western Sahara after seven years of failed efforts to resolve a dispute over the desert territory's future status, the United Nations said on Friday.

Baker, deeply frustrated by his inability to end the impasse, told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan of his intention to resign several days ago, but the Security Council was not formally notified until Friday, UN diplomats said.

Annan named Baker as his personal trouble-shooter on the contentious dispute in March 1997.

http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=qw1087024689416B265&set_id=1

[dArKeR]

21. Oil flows in central Africa - (What's the connection?)

Kribi, Cameroon - Central African leaders formally opened the taps on Saturday on one of the largest private investments ever in sub-Saharan Africa - a $3.7bn, 1 070km pipeline stretching from central oil fields through virgin rainforests to the Atlantic.

Crude began flowing through the pipeline last year, but a spat between leaders of the two countries involved - landlocked Chad and the Atlantic coast nation of Cameroon - delayed the formal inauguration until Saturday.

The presidents, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Idriss Deby of Chad, took turns spinning open a valve in a gathering featuring presidents of other African nations, including some equally caught up in a regional oil boom.

ExxonMobil, Chevron and Malaysia's Petronas financed the massive project, with the World Bank providing four percent of the funding, and its imprimatur to a potentially risky and already controversial project.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,6119,2-11-1447_1541828,00.html

[FlemingsGhost]

23. Kick (one more time)

Keep an eye on Baker, folks.

[goforit]

24. Playing golf with Poppy, Kenny Lay and Jeff Skilling is #1 priority!!

LOL!!!

Just can't cut the mustard!!!

[happynewyear]

25. boy they are dropping like flies

the shit must really stink, thats all I can say.

Who will be next on the quit list? The big W I can only hope ....

:kick:

[peacetalksforall]

26. A: Allow time for right wing to get the talking points.

Q: Why was the news released to the right wing press first?

This may not good for us. It could get very dirty in an attempt to save Bush and their empire. But, maybe he has no more tricks.

Control oil earth resources control oil earth resources control oil earth resources - including earth's people.

Al Jeezera is a right wing facilitator.

[daleo]

28. Freeing up James Baker's time 6 months before the U.S. election

Doesn't seem like a happy sign. The waters may get very rough, and very deep.

[drfemoe]

30. has no one

ever heard of LIVE AND LET LIVE?

gawd I'm so sick of this ..

[Carolab]

31. HERE'S the connection

Although Baker was to have been an honest broker, even he had to admit to the U.N. Security Council in 2001 that the plan had been heavily influenced by Morocco. Since Bush has enlisted the support of Algeria's President Abdelaziz Boutefllika in the worldwide war against terrorism, it is clear that he was pressured to limit Algeria's historic support for POLISARIO and the Sahrawis.

Bouteflika even endorsed Baker's plan. French President Jacques Chirac has referred to Western Sahara as Morocco's "southern provinces," a clear indication of where the West sees the future of the territory.

For its part, the Western Saharans are claiming the deals between Morocco and TotalFinaElf and Kerr McGee are in violation of international law and previous UN resolutions. The Sahrawi President, Mohammed Abdelaziz, condemned the oil deals as an illegal "provocation." The Sahrawi cause is supported by a number of NGOs, former French First Lady Danielle Mitterand, and East Timor's leadership, which knows all too well about being held hostage by oil interests and brutal occupying dictatorships allied with the West. But the oil companies and the Baker-Bush team still holds the trump card. If the Sahrawis, out of desperation, break the cease fire and go to war with Morocco, the anti-terrorism measures undertaken by the United States may seal their fate.

All the State Department has to do is simply declare POLISARIO and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic terrorist organizations. Their international assets would be frozen, their leaders would be arrested and could be tried by secret U.S. military tribunals and executed, and Big Oil and Morocco would rule the day in Western Sahara. Even groups that support their cause could be targeted and their assets seized. Furthermore, the American public, conditioned to be suspicious of all things Arab, would have little sympathy for nomadic Arabs fighting against a U.S. "ally." It is a scenario that could be replayed in every part of the world where local secessionist groups are pitted against brutal regimes and greedy multinational corporations--the Aceh region of northern Sumatra, West Papua, and Nigeria's Delta Region, to name but a few.

(link to entire article explaining Baker's role, including his Kerr-McGee oil connections...)
http://www.prisonplanet.com/news_alert_011003_general.html

[Tight_rope]

32. James Baker is the devil in sheeps clothes! n/t

[Sugarbleus]

34. Boy, o boy, you got that right!! Bubye beelzebub!! eom

[Rex]

33. Baker is a key cockroach to watch.

IMO he is coming back here to get ready to steal another election for the BFEE. Baker is one of the silent BigGuns.