Let us now praise UN envoys when they do the right thing.  UN representative Jan Pronk is being expelled from the Sudan for telling the truth about its murderous activities on his blog (according to the Washington Post. Among his blog points:

As said above, the Government is taking some initiatives itself. But these seem more oriented at a strengthening of its own position by means of a divide and rule policy than by the wish to have a strong and fully representative partner in negotiations that should lead to a sustainable solution, undisputed by a third party.

Not exactly a wild charge. The Sudan, which has been charged with genocide by the United States State Department. But the regime decided it couldn't tolerate Pronk, who has been  dedicated to negotiating peace agreements in the wild chaos of Darfur. So they threw him out.

Fifteen years ago Kofi Annan stood by and did nothing during the Rwanda genocide. We would respect him a lot more if he taken the trouble to get thrown out in protest. What a difference it would make to the moral authority of the UN if its representatives were willing to stand up to tell the truth.

James Lewis   10 22 06