XPost: alt.apocalypse, alt.politics, alt.poltlics.cia   
   From: luken@frontiernet.net   
      
   Australia has won a seat on the United Nations Security Council, the   
   most important governing body in the UN.   
      
   Australia, along with Argentina, Rwanda, Luxembourg and South Korea,   
   will hold the position for two years from 2013 as one of the 10   
   non-permanent members of the Council.   
      
   With 129 votes required, Australia secured 140 in the first round of the   
   ballot at UN headquarters in New York overnight.   
      
   Argentina and Rwanda were also elected in the first round with   
   Luxembourg and South Korea later claiming the remaining seats.   
   Audio: Carr: "A big, juicy, decisive win". (AM)   
      
   Senator Carr hit back at Opposition criticism of the time and money   
   spent on the bid, saying it was a "big, juicy, decisive win" that   
   endorses Australia's global standing.   
      
   He said Australia received strong support from African nations and   
   countries of the Pacific and the Caribbean.   
      
   He told AM he was surprised the vote was settled so quickly.   
      
   "In previous ballots there was, we're told, a gap between promised   
   support and actual delivered support but this time around, we got the   
   votes we were promised," he said from New York.   
      
   "It's a wonderful heart-warming endorsement of Australia as a good local   
   citizen.   
      
   "It's countries saying 'we like Australia. We think Australia's role is   
   good and positive and we want to see Australia provide leadership'."   
      
        It's countries saying 'we like Australia. We think Australia's role   
   is good and positive and we want to see Australia provide leadership'.   
        Foreign Minister Bob Carr   
      
   Senator Carr said the bid cost just under $25 million over five years,   
   but denies it would have been a waste if the bid was unsuccessful.   
      
   "If we had lost I would have argued that that was money well spent   
   because it brought diplomats at the UN, over 100 UN ambassadors to   
   Australia who saw our multiculturalism, the sophistication and   
   competitiveness of our economy and the impressive style of Australian   
   cities and had a different image of our country as a result," he said.   
      
   "It forced us to intensify our diplomacy with, for example, Africa."   
      
   Senator Carr said many of the nations had varying ideas about Australia   
   before coming to the country.   
      
   "They had, I'm sad to say, a few rough and ready cliché-laden concepts   
   of Australia," he said.   
      
   Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he welcomes the result,   
   although again questioned the expense of the campaign.   
      
   "It's just a two-year term that we won today at the cost of many many   
   tens of millions of dollars and some dislocation of our ordinary   
   diplomatic efforts," he told Channel Nine.   
      
   "But it is two years we've got now at this top table, let's hope we can   
   make the most of it."   
      
   Council criticism   
   What is the UN Security Council?   
      
        The Security Council was set up in 1946 and is based at UN   
   headquarters in New York City.   
        Its job is to maintain international peace and security and it has   
   the powers to set up peacekeeping operations; implement sanctions; and   
   authorise military action.   
        The five permanent members are the victors of World War II: China;   
   France; Russia; United Kingdom; United States.   
        The permanent members have the power to veto resolutions.   
        There are also 10 non-permanent members serving two-year terms.   
        They are currently Colombia; Germany; India; Portugal; South Africa   
   (all serving terms to the end of this year): and Azerbaijan; Guatemala;   
   Morocco; Pakistan; Togo (to the end of 2013).   
      
   The Security Council has been heavily criticised for a lack of action in   
   places like Syria, with that criticism sure to extend to Australia now   
   it has a seat at the table.   
      
   Senator Carr says he still supports the enforcement of Kofi Annan's   
   six-point peace plan despite its failure to this point.   
      
   "We want the enforcement of the six-point Kofi Annan peace plan now   
   being pursued by his successor as special representative and we want   
   above all, out of those six points, the ceasefire - the enforcement of a   
   ceasefire and political negotiations to achieve a transition in the   
   government of Syria," he said.   
      
   "No prizes for saying that (that the plan has failed).   
      
   "In the meantime, I've been advancing a plan, a minimalist-appeared back   
   plan to see that all sides of the conflict allow medical equipment.   
      
   "This is the international law by the way, allow medical equipment and   
   supplies to reach the suffering people of Syria and enable hospitals to   
   be protected and not used as instruments of war."   
      
   Senator Carr says Australia will "speak up for the interests of middle   
   powers and small powers" and will vote against the United States if   
   necessary.   
      
   "In the past, governments in Australia - especially I've got to say   
   Labor governments - have been prepared to depart from America," he said   
      
   "That said, I've got to say that the Obama administration has been very   
   alive to most of the concerns in foreign policy priorities we've got."   
      
   The seat represents the culmination of a multi-million-dollar push first   
   instigated by Kevin Rudd during his time as prime minister.   
   Rudd 'vindicated'   
      
   Senator Carr praised both Mr Rudd and the efforts of Prime Minister   
   Julia Gillard while she was in New York.   
      
   "Kevin Rudd deserves credit and vindication for saying we should go for   
   this and we should go for this in this year," Senator Carr said.   
      
   "There's criticism of that again from the Opposition who said it's the   
   wrong year to run and it's a dubious decision to run, but he's vindicated."   
      
   A spokesperson for Mr Rudd released a statement saying the former prime   
   minister wanted to congratulate "the entire Australian diplomatic   
   service who performed with total professionalism in securing a great   
   result for Australia in a highly competitive race".   
      
   While often criticised for being ineffective and paralysed by the five   
   permanent members, the Security Council is the only organ within the UN   
   that can authorise military action as well as establish international   
   sanctions and peacekeeping missions.   
      
   As one of the 10 non-permanent members Australia has a vote on such   
   decisions, but lacks the veto power of permanent members - Russia,   
   China, the United States, France and the United Kingdom.   
      
   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-19/australia-wins-seat-on-un-   
   ecurity-council/4321946?section=world   
      
   Rise of the NWO, while you sleep.   
      
   Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of   
   the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns,   
   and on his heads a blasphemous name.   
      
   Revelation 13: 1 KJV   
      
   E.S.L.J.C.Q.!   
   --   
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