Jordan looks set to take Saudi Security Council seat: Western diplomats

[ResurgentIran]

(Reuters) - Jordan appears set to take the traditional Arab seat on the U.N. Security Council after Saudi Arabia rejected the position in protest at the body's failure to end the Syria war and act on other Middle East issues, Western diplomats said on Friday.

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly elected Saudi Arabia last month to the SecurityCouncil for a two-year term from January 1, but in a surprise move, Riyadh declined the position a day after the vote.

While Saudi Arabia has made its decision known in a Foreign Ministry statement, it has not officially notified the United Nations. Most U.N. diplomats believe a formal letter needs to be received from Riyadh before a new election can be held.

Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared Jordan had agreed to replace Saudi Arabia on the council, after dropping out of a race against Riyadh for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Jordan's place on the Security Council would still need two-thirds approval by the General Assembly, diplomats said. The unprecedented move by Saudi Arabia to reject the Security Council seat and the emergence of Jordan as the alternative candidate has left diplomats scratching their heads.

Several U.N. diplomats have said Jordan would have been wary of replacing Saudi Arabia on the Security Council as it is so closely involved in key issues before the body. Jordan neighbors Syria and refugees from the more than 2 1/2 year civil war now represent one-tenth of Jordan's population.

"I don't think Jordan, to be honest, wants to be on the Security Council," said one senior U.N. envoy, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Jordan's U.N. Ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Jordanian mission to the United Nations said that Zeid had returned to Amman for a few weeks.

Jordan dropped out of the race for a seat on the Human Rights Council earlier this week, paving the way for Saudi Arabia to be elected to that body unopposed, in spite of widespread criticism of its rights record. The U.N. General Assembly is due to elect new members to the Geneva-based rights body on Tuesday.

ARAB SEAT

The Security Council is dominated by its five permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - which have veto power over its decisions.

To ensure diversity, the council's 10 elected members are made up of three members from Africa, two from Asia-Pacific, one from Eastern Europe, two from the Latin American and Caribbean group, and two from the Western European and others group. Five are chosen each year to serve two-year terms.

Arab states are split between the Asia-Pacific and African regional blocs and there is an unofficial deal that at least one Arab nation is always represented on the Security Council.

Saudi Arabia was the Arab candidate from the Asia-Pacific bloc. Kuwait had put its hand up to be the next Arab candidate from the group and to run for the 2018-2019 term on the Security Council, which has led some diplomats to speculate that the Gulf U.S. ally could be a capable replacement.

Arab countries have been trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to take up the Security Council seat.

"Kuwait forms part of the efforts currently being carried out to convince Saudi Arabia to reverse its decision," Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled al-Jarrallah told state news agency KUNA on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia has threatened a rift with the United States in part over what it sees as Washington's failure to take action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its policies on Iran.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Monday and praised the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia as strategic and enduring, but strains in the nearly 70-year-old relationship were apparent.

Jordan looks set to take Saudi Security Council seat: Western diplomats| Reuters

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Saudi Arabia has convinced Jordan to take it after the latter was hesitant. However, it's not official yet.

 

[ResurgentIran]

Saudi Arabia has convinced Jordan to take it after the latter was hesitant. However, it's not official yet.

So first Saudi Arabia boycotted seat and the excuse/complain was the body's inability to solve regional problems, but then pushes Jordan to take the seat instead. Hmm...
BLACKEAGLE do you agree that this is bit of a strange behavior?

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

So first Saudi Arabia boycotted seat and the excuse/complain was the body's inability to solve regional problems, but then pushes Jordan to take the seat instead. Hmm...
BLACKEAGLE do you agree that this is bit of a strange behavior?

No not at all, prince Faisal is a genius guy. You get to know more about him BTW. Saudi Arabia worked hard to get this seat, but it decided to give it up to deliver it's message to the whole world about UN inability and inequality in dealing with ME issues. That embarrassed superpowers and raised questions of the UN credibility. The message was delivered, and now an ally of Saudi Arabia could take the seat.

 

[ResurgentIran]

No not at all, prince Faisal is a genius guy. You get to know more about him BTW. Saudi Arabia worked hard to get this seat, but it decided to give it up to deliver it's message to the whole world about UN inability and inequality in dealing with ME issues. That embarrassed superpowers and raised questions of the UN credibility. The message was delivered, and now an ally of Saudi Arabia could take the seat.

So if UN is inable and not equal, why do they want Jordan to take the seat in their stead?
Does not seem like a rational thought process.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

So if UN is inable and not equal, why do they want Jordan to take the seat in their stead?
Does not seem like a rational thought process.

That's not an absolute judgment man, no country can afford to function without being part of the UN. It was a demonstration of a grievance.

 

[ResurgentIran]

That's not an absolute judgment man, no country can afford to function without being part of the UN. It was a demonstration of a grievance.

But why do they want Jordan to take the seat, and thus legitimizing the security council, after having said its illegitimate or ineffective to solve problems?

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

But why do they want Jordan to take the seat, and thus legitimizing the security council, after having said its illegitimate or ineffective to solve problems?

The irony is that you are the one who used this smiley" "

Hey, get yourself a cup of coffee and try re-reading my previous posts again and again until you get them.

This would be helpful:

Saudi Arabia: The Real Reason For Refusing UN Seat

 

[ResurgentIran]

The irony is that you are the one who used this smiley" "

Hey, get yourself a cup of coffee and try re-reading my previous posts again and again until you get them.

This would be helpful:

Saudi Arabia: The Real Reason For Refusing UN Seat

Seems like you are the one not quite getting the gist of what Im getting at, in pointing out the obvious contradictions.
I aleady read your posts, and I know the stated reasons for SA rejecting the seat. That is why its contradictional and strange to ask Jordan to replace them. lol

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

That's not an absolute judgment man, no country can afford to function without being part of the UN. It was a demonstration of a grievance.

Even if it weren't slightly fair? : |

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

@BLACKEAGLE @JUBA @Arabian Legend

السحر السعودي يعطي مفعوله: امريكا تعود لذريعة صدام وتتهم الاسد باخفاء الكيماوي!