UN secretary general Kofi Annan resorted to name-calling during an end-of-year press conference. When New York Times reporter, James Bone, started to ask the Secretary General an embarrassing question on reports about Annan's son, Kojo, the world's chief diplomat pitched a fit.
According to the Guardian, Annan branded Bone him an "overgrown schoolboy:"
"I think you're being very cheeky. Listen James Bone, you've been behaving like an overgrown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and years," the UN secretary general said. "You are an embarrassment to your colleagues and to your profession. Please stop misbehaving and please let's move on to a serious subject," he added.
The UN head's outburst followed a series of questions over his part in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.
Mr Annan accused journalists of missing stories about the programme, which he said had sometimes been covered through "deliberate leaks" that were "fed by people with agendas".
Bone conceded journalists had missed the stories, but said the UN hadn't "made it easy" for them to discover the truth about this, or about allegations that Mr Annan's son Kojo had imported a Mercedes-Benz car into Ghana using his father's diplomatic status to avoid taxes.
"Your version of events doesn't really make sense," he said - a remark that appears to have been the final straw for the embattled Mr Annan.
The relevant portion of the transcript makes it clear that Annan was off base:
Q: Happy holidays, Sir. In the spirit of that, I am wondering if you think that the complex budget and reform negotiations down in the basement will be done by Christmas, or whether you think it will be more of a New Year's cliffhanger. Also, I am sure that you or your people have been spending a lot of time down there in the negotiations. Can you describe why, in this now-or-never moment, as you put it, on United Nations reform, there is so much resistance or inability of these delegates to come to some kind of conclusion?
SG: Let me say that I would prefer to see the budget issue and the reform discussions brought to a conclusion before Christmas. But, of course, if we fail that, then we will have to come back after Christmas. And I think the Member States realize that they don't have much time, and they may have to come up with some creative ways of ending their work. One option they are looking at is instead of going through the resolution of 250 paragraphs, perhaps come up with a shorter document that they can agree on, and complete their work and move on. As of yesterday, of the 250 paragraphs, I think only four paragraphs had been approved, and so I don't see them finishing if they continue on that track.
I think the atmosphere is also a bit tense, and once again, I think they need to really talk to each other. Tempers are high, and there's quite a bit of mistrust. There is a sense that they are operating in an atmosphere of threats and intimidation, which some of them say they resent. But quite frankly, I think the only choice they have is to sit down and talk honestly and sincerely and frankly to each other and try and come to an understanding. But they have to put the interests of the Organization first, not narrow interests.
Q: (inaudible) If you don't know what that means, that's “Happy New Year” in Arabic.
Q: Don't look at me!
SG: But it's not Arabic.
Q: It is Arabic, but it (inaudible) doesn't mean “Happy New Year”; it means something else.
Q: It had the word “Mercedes” in, but I took it out. Just to comment on the Mercedes before I ask my question. The Volcker report says that the Mercedes was bought in your name, so as the owner of the car, can you tell us what happened to it and where it is now?
Now, my question is that, it's true that we missed a lot of stories in the oil-for-food scandal, and the UN hasn't made it easy. And even your answer today on the Mercedes so far hasn't made it easy. Some of your own stories – your own version of events – don't really make sense. I'd like to ask you particularly –
SG: I think you are being very cheeky here.
Q: Well, let me – Sir, let me ask my question.
SG: No, hold on. Hold on. Listen, James Bone. You have been behaving like an overgrown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and years. You are an embarrassment to your colleagues and to your profession. Please stop misbehaving, and please let's move on to a more serious subject.
Q: (inaudible) my question.
SG: No, move on to a serious –
Q: There are inconsistencies –
SG: No, move on to serious journalists. You go ahead.
Q: James, are you finished?
SG: No, go ahead.
Q: Okay. Mr. Secretary-General, I was waiting for this question. I believe that I was even before James Bone. But, anyhow, here is my question.
It is troubling that the Secretary General doesn't think the U.N. oil-for-food scandal is a "serious subject." That says a great deal about why the scandals occurred.
The Secretary General was obviously annoyed to the point of calling out Mr. Bone. As your blog fails to report, the secretary general had been asked the SAME question FIVE times. Your blog also fails to point out that he has stated that the oil for food scandal had been taken seriously by the United Nations. And again, your blog failed to point out that the United Nations rarely takes part in projects such as the oil for food program. Mr. Bone has a 'bone to pick' (Pardon the pun) with the United Nations, and was more than happy to try to push Mr. Annan over the edge. Mr. Bone WAS acting like a 'school-boy.' His smug, "Mercedes-question" was unnecessary, and pointless. Based on this story, "...That says a great deal about why your blog is flawed.
-Andrew K.
Posted by: Andrew Karlsson | Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 01:49 AM