Shed No Tears Over Kofi Annan’s Passing
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Appointed by the Clinton co-presidency in 1997, he served US imperial interests for 10 deplorable years.
In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – despite failing to fulfill the mandate he was sworn to uphold: “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights; to establish conditions (promoting) justice…equal rights of men and women (in all nations and respect for) international law (and) social progress…to ensure…armed force shall not be used.”
His disgraceful record speaks for itself.
He supported Bush/Cheney’s naked aggression and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq – both wars planned well before 9/11, the mother of all false flags, initiating endless conflicts still raging.
He backed genocidal Iraqi sanctions, responsible for around 1.5 million deaths, including hundreds of thousands of children under age five.
He failed to speak out against potential US/Israeli war on Iran, possibly with nuclear weapons.
He never used the power and influence of his office to denounce Israeli high crimes against Palestinians – nor its 2006 naked aggression in Lebanon.
He acted irresponsibly during three failed attempts to topple democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, failing to denounce them.
He was indifferent to pain and suffering throughout the African continent of his birth. He went along with US-led efforts to plunder its vast resources.
In its aftermath, he was silent about CIA surface-to-air missiles, responsible for downing the aircraft carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira in April, 1994.
It let the Clinton regime install US-trained Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) General Paul Kagame in power, Washington wanting the country used as a base to plunder the resource-rich Congo (DRC).
The Clintons bore full responsibility for the 1994 Rwandan massacre, unrelated to a fabricated Tutsi/Hutu conflict.
As head of UN peacekeeping operations at the time, Annan was a bystander to what happened, complicit through silence.
He authorized Blue Helmet peacekeeping paramilitarism in various countries – unrelated to monitoring withdrawal of combatants, building confidence, enforcing power-sharing agreements, providing electoral support, aiding reconstruction, upholding the rule of law, maintaining order, and helping efforts toward economic and social development.
Their deployment is all about serving imperial interests, doing more harm than good. Initial 1948 UNTSO peacekeepers achieved nothing toward ending decades of Israeli belligerence against defenseless Palestinians.
The same goes for numerous other missions, notably in Lebanon, Rwanda, Kosovo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Haiti, among other deployments – powerful foreign interests served, peace and public well-being not promoted or served.
Throughout his tenure, Annan served the Clintons and Bush/Cheney regimes, a willing co-conspirator in the latter’s global war OF terror on humanity.
His appointment as UN secretary-general, long tenure, and support for US imperial interests earned him Nobel and other awards.
In his final address as UN chief, he urged Washington to continue “the struggle against terrorism” it created and supports, he failed to explain.
The record of Annan’s successor Ban Ki-moon was just as dismal. Both world body heads operated as imperial tools – never achieving or working for peace anywhere.
The same goes for current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres since taking office on January 1, 2017 – a reliable servant of imperial interests like most of his predecessors.
Dag Hammarskjold was a notable exception, the CIA likely responsible for his 1961 plane crash death.
Agency head Allen Dulles called him “troublesome,” saying he “should be removed” – for supporting interests contrary to Washington’s.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali was another exception. After serving less than one term, the Clinton regime replaced him with Kofi Annan – for “question(ing) (its) decisions,” Boutros-Ghali explained, adding:
“(A)bsolute rulers…cannot accept discussion, (not) even a minimum of contradiction.” The Rwandan massacre occurred during his tenure.
He called what happened “100% the responsibility of the Americans.”
He was lucky only to be replaced as secretary general, not eliminated by the CIA for insubordination to US imperial interests.
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