UN commemorates Auschwitz liberation in special session

[Lithos]

Nobel laureate Elie Weisel joined world leaders Monday in asking whether the United Nations is ready to stop a future genocide, as the UN General Assembly convened a first-of-its-kind session to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.

"We know that for the dead it is too late," Weisel said of the Holocaust's victims. "But it is not too late for today's children, ours and yours. It is for their sake alone that we bear witness. The Jewish witness that I am speaks of my people's suffering as a warning," Weisel said. "He sounds the alarm to prevent these tragedies from being done to others. And yes, I am convinced if the world had listened to those of us who tried to speak we may have prevented Darfur, Cambodia, Bosnia, and naturally Rwanda," Weisel added.

More

When we say "Never Again", shouldn't this not also apply to any and all genocide?

BTW, it is about time the UN did something to mark the Holocaust.

[Hollowkatt]

1. Darfur anyone??

Genocide much?? and what the fuck are we doing about it?? NOTHING thats what :mad:

[drdon326]

2. .

Nobel laureate Elie Weisel joined world leaders Monday in asking whether the United Nations is ready to stop a future genocide

And the answer is......NO !!

Sadly.

[gottaB]

3. We must reject indifference as an option

Indifference always helps the aggressor, never his victims.

[moobu2]

4. Elie Weisel had meetings with Condoleeza Rice and Bush

in 03 (he Condi and Bush are good friends) and came out strongly in support for invading Iraq. Weisel even wrote and spoke in support of the invasion using the WMD argument and saying that he completely trusted Powell. After no WMD were found he didn't let that stop his support and reasoned that the invasion was still justified because Saddam was a bad guy who had killed and tortured people, that he invaded Kuwait and so on. Weisel compared Saddam to Hitler in his writings and said if we fail to disarm Saddam's WMD "we expose ourselves to terrifying consequences".
.
Elie Weisel's supportive writings are still posted on US governments websites and he still supports the occupation even knowing about all the abuse, civilian death, the insurgency and all.

I'm disapointed in Elie Weisel.

[drdon326]

5. Interesting....

you have a link on that?

[gottaB]

6. I have a few

Wiesel's support for the invasion: Intervention Only Option in Iraq.

The White House did attempt to use Wiesel's statements and positions for its own propaganda, in order to give a moral justification for its political stances, sometimes to comic effect (e.g., Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer, February 28, 2003).

After the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, did Wiesel's view on intervention change? This article from a conservative publication suggests that it did: Wiesel's Words of Wisdom. I would take that with a grain of salt. Here's a direct response to the question from another source:

"We have the right to intervene because every human being is worthy of our solidarity," he said.

In his first visit to Northwestern University in 25 years -- though many students attended a Chicago speech by Wiesel last October -- the author and activist addressed the dangers of fanaticism.

Saddam Hussein, he said, was a fanatic who needed to be removed from power.

"How could we have allowed him to remain?" he asked. "The fact is, we had to go in. Would I have said the same thing if I knew there were no weapons of mass destruction? I don't know."

Wiesel warns fanaticism increasing

In my opinion, Doctor, the challenge for thinking people who would heed Professor Wiesel's call is not to decide who is worthy of protection and who is not, nor is it merely to identify those situations that we have a moral obligation to attend to and rectify. Rather the challenge is to decide upon specific courses of action and to carry them through, and, knowing that the consequences of the choices we make may be far-reaching, to allow for aporias, and cultivate within ourselves and our institutions a capacity to calibrate our actions as circumstances demand. At the level of international affairs, the possibilities for responsiveness, empathy and creativity which give meaning to our humanity have only just begun to be tapped.

[drdon326]

9. Thank you.

look, SH is/was a ruthless murdering psychotic dictator and EVERYONE wanted to see him removed or disappeared .....


only thing is people didnt agree with how to do it.

[KissMeKate]

7. overdue

this is integrated with the history of the UN- its good that they did this.

we must remember our history, or we are doomed to repeat it (someone said that, cant remember who!)

[KissMeKate]

8. Bush Admin using Elie Weisel- dispicable.

I didnt know they used him in the run up to war.

Are they willing to do ANYTHING for propaganda purposes?