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No Comment!: And don't quote me on that
The United Nations …whose primary mandate is international peace and security, enjoyed some of its lighter moments when the “glass house by the east river” was occasionally rattled – with loud laughter.Did Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev bang his shoe on his desk to attract the General Assembly president’s attention during the October 1960 session? And, as rumor would have it, was the bottom of his shoe full of visible holes?Mobutu Sese Seko, president of then Zaire, was singled out as one of “the world’s most corrupt leaders”. Asked at a press conference whether he was the second wealthiest political leader, a seemingly outraged Mobutu shouted “It’s a lie. It’s a lie,” and then added with a straight face, “I am only the fourth richest.”Recorded in this book’s pages is a motley collection of political anecdotes picked mostly from the corridors, committee rooms and the UN’s watering hole, the delegate’s lounge, by veteran journalist Thalif Deen, who has devoted most of his professional life ‘Reporting from the United Nations’.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2021
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November 4, 2022
In this review I write my comments about “No Comment .. And Don’t Quote Me On That” and I must quote the important, meaningful, funny, and stupid comments made by the commentators during the diplomat sessions in different situations held at the United Nations compound. My gratitude to the author Thalif Deen the IPS United Nations bureau chief. The primary mandate of the UN is peace and security, but there are rattle and jest with loud laughter where the PEACE place located at the east river.
The UN official most of them followed the advice of British in the UK: “Be like Dad, Keep Mum”, reactions from ambassadors and senior UN officials.
As Winston Churchill once remarked: “Diplomacy is the art of telling people ‘to go to the hell’ in such a way that they ask for directions.”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the former diplomat officer Under-Secretary-General said that every UN official – “from an Under-Sectary-General to a window-washer” … area of expertise. (Chap. 02, Pp.11)
Election gambling, UN is also inevitable, the author mentioned offering expensive boxes of gifts. The interesting point is when a lady says no, she means maybe, when she says maybe, she means yes and when she says yes, she is no lady, subsequently, when diplomates say maybe, they probably mean no, when they say yes, they mean maybe…. during the general assembly election, a joke circulating … that the flip of a coin decided the winner, but the tossed coin apparently had “two heads and no tail”. (chap. 03, Pp.17, 19)
There is an interesting episode the author had mentioned the CIA planted a Russian lip reader and Senator Moynihan described in his book A Dangerous Place, “the cat and mouse espionage game that went on inside the bowels of the world body, and particularly the UN library”. (Chap. 04, Pp.22)
Why are the diplomats not respected? Does it “culture shock”, no but perhaps yes, the diplomats are the tenants of the apartments had balances or unpaid leases were safeguarded by diplomatic immunity, and the landlord prescribed “Dogs and diplomats not welcome.” (Chap. 05, Pp.29)
When there was an election marathon between the two candidatures Boutros Boutros Ghali of Egypt and Bernard Chidzero of Zimbabwe, Ghali jokingly remarked “Bernard, if you want the approval of France, you must not only speak French but also speak English with a French accent.” (Chap. 06, Pp.34)
Where is money to the UN certainly from the member countries? But the public criticism from Helms, providing funds to the UN like “pouring money into a rathole.”(Chap. 07, Pp.36)
The United Nations prohibited carrying weapons, a woman anti-Castro exile pulled out knife by the police and Che Guevara said “it is better to be killed by a woman with a Kinfe than by a man with a gun.” (Chap. 08, Pp.46)
Yasser Arafat arrived at the UN there is a controversy that Arafat had entered the UN with a weapon, he remarked “Today, I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.” (Chap. 09, Pp.50)
The author nailed a joke of political circles of Saddam Hussein’s brutal Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, read “Under New Management.” (Chap. 12, Pp.68)
The remarkable Secretary General of the UN and my favorite diplomat officer Kofi Annan, challenged with a proposal to ban military officials addressing the UN, political leaders empowered by undemocratic means via military power.
Smoking prohibited controversy smoked badly at the UN, Lavrov shot back “UN not belongs to the SG, but belongs to member states.” Albright says “… I will break Boutros legs.” … Hindu scholar said, “there is no difference between diplomacy and deception” (Chap. 14, Pp.78-9, 81)
Politics is a battle for power, the USSR ambassador Zorin denied answering Yes or No without translation, and Zorin shot back “I am not in an American courtroom, sir, and therefore I do not wish to answer … which a prosecutor does.” Words are measured the UN envoy requested a permanent seat for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in a slip of tung used “Islamic State” which the term considered extremism. Mistakenly the Indian Foreign Minister (SM Krishna) read out the Portuguese delegate’s speech, instead of India’s. (Chap. 15, Pp.84-5)
Demography increments never expired, and Qaddafi was asked by Chinese president Xiaoping to bring all Libyans along when his next visit to China. The author sadly described the murder of the IPS Bureau Chief in Sri Lanka Richard de Zoysa by the “death squads” in 1990. (Chap. 17, Pp.93, 95)
Strip club lap dance is a very serious comedy, and also the funny answer from the (corrupted) president of DR Congo Seko, how you become so rich? “if you want to steal, steal a little cleverly, in a nice way. Only if you steal so much as to become rich overnight, you will be caught.” My Dad always remembers me if a thief theft one rupee or one billion thief is a thief, the author has mentioned here addressing Ex Ambassador as Ambassador a protocol, and the Ambassador replied “yes, once a prostitute, always a prostitute.” (Chap. 18, Pp.99, 106)
The author widely covered the UN role of Sri Lanka in history and here I like to pin the fourth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Hon. SWRD Bandaranayake concluded his speech by citing the philosophy of the Lite of Asia “We gain nothing.” (Chap. 20, Pp.131). It’s very interesting stories been covered in chapters 21, and 22 about the former foreign ministers, ambassadors, and diplomat officers’ actions and roles by using political powers.
In my conclusion, the overall reading of the book is yielding invaluable knowledge about diplomate relations through the historical review by the author with a sense of humor in the eye of the global view. The book is evidently proving the tremendous experience of the author in the IPS, and this book made me serious and humorous during my reading. Thanks a lot, my dear colleague/friend Yasodhara Kapuge for sharing No Comment!
The UN official most of them followed the advice of British in the UK: “Be like Dad, Keep Mum”, reactions from ambassadors and senior UN officials.
As Winston Churchill once remarked: “Diplomacy is the art of telling people ‘to go to the hell’ in such a way that they ask for directions.”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the former diplomat officer Under-Secretary-General said that every UN official – “from an Under-Sectary-General to a window-washer” … area of expertise. (Chap. 02, Pp.11)
Election gambling, UN is also inevitable, the author mentioned offering expensive boxes of gifts. The interesting point is when a lady says no, she means maybe, when she says maybe, she means yes and when she says yes, she is no lady, subsequently, when diplomates say maybe, they probably mean no, when they say yes, they mean maybe…. during the general assembly election, a joke circulating … that the flip of a coin decided the winner, but the tossed coin apparently had “two heads and no tail”. (chap. 03, Pp.17, 19)
There is an interesting episode the author had mentioned the CIA planted a Russian lip reader and Senator Moynihan described in his book A Dangerous Place, “the cat and mouse espionage game that went on inside the bowels of the world body, and particularly the UN library”. (Chap. 04, Pp.22)
Why are the diplomats not respected? Does it “culture shock”, no but perhaps yes, the diplomats are the tenants of the apartments had balances or unpaid leases were safeguarded by diplomatic immunity, and the landlord prescribed “Dogs and diplomats not welcome.” (Chap. 05, Pp.29)
When there was an election marathon between the two candidatures Boutros Boutros Ghali of Egypt and Bernard Chidzero of Zimbabwe, Ghali jokingly remarked “Bernard, if you want the approval of France, you must not only speak French but also speak English with a French accent.” (Chap. 06, Pp.34)
Where is money to the UN certainly from the member countries? But the public criticism from Helms, providing funds to the UN like “pouring money into a rathole.”(Chap. 07, Pp.36)
The United Nations prohibited carrying weapons, a woman anti-Castro exile pulled out knife by the police and Che Guevara said “it is better to be killed by a woman with a Kinfe than by a man with a gun.” (Chap. 08, Pp.46)
Yasser Arafat arrived at the UN there is a controversy that Arafat had entered the UN with a weapon, he remarked “Today, I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.” (Chap. 09, Pp.50)
The author nailed a joke of political circles of Saddam Hussein’s brutal Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, read “Under New Management.” (Chap. 12, Pp.68)
The remarkable Secretary General of the UN and my favorite diplomat officer Kofi Annan, challenged with a proposal to ban military officials addressing the UN, political leaders empowered by undemocratic means via military power.
Smoking prohibited controversy smoked badly at the UN, Lavrov shot back “UN not belongs to the SG, but belongs to member states.” Albright says “… I will break Boutros legs.” … Hindu scholar said, “there is no difference between diplomacy and deception” (Chap. 14, Pp.78-9, 81)
Politics is a battle for power, the USSR ambassador Zorin denied answering Yes or No without translation, and Zorin shot back “I am not in an American courtroom, sir, and therefore I do not wish to answer … which a prosecutor does.” Words are measured the UN envoy requested a permanent seat for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in a slip of tung used “Islamic State” which the term considered extremism. Mistakenly the Indian Foreign Minister (SM Krishna) read out the Portuguese delegate’s speech, instead of India’s. (Chap. 15, Pp.84-5)
Demography increments never expired, and Qaddafi was asked by Chinese president Xiaoping to bring all Libyans along when his next visit to China. The author sadly described the murder of the IPS Bureau Chief in Sri Lanka Richard de Zoysa by the “death squads” in 1990. (Chap. 17, Pp.93, 95)
Strip club lap dance is a very serious comedy, and also the funny answer from the (corrupted) president of DR Congo Seko, how you become so rich? “if you want to steal, steal a little cleverly, in a nice way. Only if you steal so much as to become rich overnight, you will be caught.” My Dad always remembers me if a thief theft one rupee or one billion thief is a thief, the author has mentioned here addressing Ex Ambassador as Ambassador a protocol, and the Ambassador replied “yes, once a prostitute, always a prostitute.” (Chap. 18, Pp.99, 106)
The author widely covered the UN role of Sri Lanka in history and here I like to pin the fourth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Hon. SWRD Bandaranayake concluded his speech by citing the philosophy of the Lite of Asia “We gain nothing.” (Chap. 20, Pp.131). It’s very interesting stories been covered in chapters 21, and 22 about the former foreign ministers, ambassadors, and diplomat officers’ actions and roles by using political powers.
In my conclusion, the overall reading of the book is yielding invaluable knowledge about diplomate relations through the historical review by the author with a sense of humor in the eye of the global view. The book is evidently proving the tremendous experience of the author in the IPS, and this book made me serious and humorous during my reading. Thanks a lot, my dear colleague/friend Yasodhara Kapuge for sharing No Comment!
March 20, 2021
An interesting observation on the forked tongue of UN diplomats, especially on the confrontations in the Security Council. A clear presentation on how the USA keeps the UN Secretary General(s) in check and clip their wings. Towards the end almost one third of the book is on Sri Lankan diplomats but still interesting to read on the ways these people’s representatives operate.
December 23, 2024
This is a fun read and provides into the working and insider perspective of UN work.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews