Florida Division Convention attendees heard an informative speech from Ms. Linda Fasulo , UN Correspondent for NBC News. With an office in the Secretariat Building and press credentials at the United Nations, Ms. Fasulo has the ability to observe first hand UN history in the making.
After covering a local New York beat for several years, Ms. Fasulo was assigned to the United Nations just as the first Gulf War began. She found little media interest in the United Nations before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait but things changed significantly after the 1991 war. Media coverage waxed and waned for the rest of the 1990�s as public opinion shifted in support of and against the UN.
Ms. Fasulo indicated US engagement in the daily affairs and meetings inside the UN decreased significantly during the first year of President George W. Bush�s administration, reflecting his unilateralist views at the time. However, after September 11, 2001, and the UN�s subsequent action against terrorism beginning the next day, US involvement increased to a level not seen in quite a while.
Ms. Fasulo elaborated on how terrorism and then the disarmament of Iraq began to dominate discussions in the UN. Terrorism took top priority as countries agreed to submit detailed reports of their efforts to coordinate anti-terrorism programs. She indicated there was a great deal of arm twisting during this process, and not only by the United States.
With regard to Iraq, Ms. Fasulo said there was a period of intense diplomacy followed by a sense that military action was inevitable. This was due to the determination of the United States, its bargaining ability within the UN, and everyone�s intense frustration with Iraq�s pattern of non-compliance and inability to answer direct questions regarding its weapon stockpiles.
Ms. Fasulo closed her presentation with a very favorable account of the character and leadership of Secretary General Kofi Annan, commenting that the United States is lucky to have him in this position. She said that if Kofi Annan had not been Secretary General, the United States� relationship with the UN would be different.
Several questions followed her presentation and many centered on the role of the United Nations in rebuilding Iraq. Many believed it will be a difficult process because of the animosity toward the perception (or reality) of US unilateralism on the war issue. Ms. Fasulo presented an optimistic assessment, saying that countries will follow out of necessity and that the UN will play a significant role in rebuilding Iraq. She agreed with comments that the UN�s most effective role is in social development and concluded the UN will continue to take leadership in this area.
Tom Cook (Tampa Bay)
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