U.S. boycotts racism conference 'with regret'

[cali]

By Bridget Johnson
Posted: 04/18/09 08:51 PM

The State Department announced late Saturday that "with regret" the U.S. would not be attending the controversial United Nations racism conference beginning Monday in Geneva.

The first such conference, which was held in Durban, South Africa, days before the 9-11 terrorist attacks, was assailed by critics who called the meetings anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Next week's conference is billed as "Durban II," a follow-up to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

American and Israeli delegates walked out of the original conference, with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell saying, "I know that you do not combat racism by conferences that produce declarations containing hateful language, some of which is a throwback to the days of 'Zionism equals racism,' or support the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust, or suggest that apartheid exists in Israel, or that single out only one country in the world -- Israel -- for censure and abuse."

The Obama administration had indicated late Friday that no final decision had been made regarding whether the U.S. would reconsider a boycott of Durban II and send a delegation.

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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/u.s.-boycotts-racism-conference-with-regret-2009-04-18.html

Australia has also announced it will not attend.

[Deja Q]

1. Racism against perceived racists...

I can see why countries are dropping out of this gig.

Colin Powell was absolutely right.

Racism is or isn't.

It's not entirely different from Jamie Foxx making a racist joke at that Hannah Montana image and all the wankers pawn it off as him merely telling a joke. Get real, he was being racist too. It happens.

[cali]

2. I didn't see Foxx's comments as racist- highly offensive, yes, racist no.

Aside from that, I have mixed feeling on this decision. No doubt that Durban I, was a travesty and that the likelihood is that Geneva will follow in those footsteps, but you can't do much to change the course if you're not there.

[MADem]

3. You hit that out of the park. That's it, in a nutshell. NT