Dump Durban: UN conference tries to hide racist agenda, but U.S. must stay away
March 22, 2009
NY DailyNews.com
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Under pressure from http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Canada \o Canada Canada, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Europe \o Europe Europe and, belatedly, the http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+States \o United States United States, the anti-http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Israel \o Israel Israel, anti-West forces behind the upcoming http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+Nations \o United Nations United Nations conference on racism have taken to fighting in camouflage.
The threat of boycotts has pushed http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Iran \o Iran Iran, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Libya \o Libya Libya, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Cuba \o Cuba Cuba and other such players into stripping egregious language from the event's planning document - while leaving its abhorrent foundation intact. http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Barack+Obama \o Barack Obama President Obama must rule out U.S. participation. 
The conference is a follow up to a freak show staged by the UN in http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Durban \o Durban Durban, http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/South+Africa \o South Africa South Africa, in 2001. The proceedings were so hateful that then-http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Colin+Powell \o Colin Powell Secretary of State Colin Powell ordered U.S. diplomats to walk out. 
With Durban II set for next month, the http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Department+of+State \o U.S. Department of State State Department laid out conditions for U.S. attendance: The conference must not reaffirm the 2001 declaration, which libeled Israel as systematically racist; it must not single out any country; it must drop calls for crackdowns on defamation of religion, a cudgel some Muslim countries want to use against dissenters. 
Planners produced a trimmed draft that no longer brands Israel an apartheid state and deletes references to defamation of religion. What's left is feel-good drivel - plus an explicit statement that reaffirms the Durban declaration of 2001. 
The powers behind the conference cannot hide their intentions or outlook. The U.S. must stay home.