Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, briefed the press at UN headquarters in New York today regarding the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Ambassador Mohamad repeatedly denounced the indictment by ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and rejected “in the strongest possible terms” the charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The ambassador strongly asserted that “we do not recognize the authority of the ICC” and that “we consider this move as an affront” to the sovereignty to Sudan.  He also claimed that the charges are politically motivated, stating  “[Ocampo] only wants to settle political scores.”  When pressed on what specific political “scores” motivate Ocampo, ambassador Mohamed quickly changed the subject.

Regarding resolution of the Darfur crisis, the ambassador stated, “Darfur problems better be addressed by the Sudanese” and that international support should be “complimentary” to the efforts of the Sudanese government.

Ambassador Mohamed confidently expressed that the President’s travel schedule would not be interrupted, and that the ambassador would be surprised if President Bashir did not attend the United Nations annual General Assembly meeting in September.

More Talk Radio News Sudan Coverage

Listen to the full audio of Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad’s statement on the indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the ICC. (16:39)

Soudbite audio below.

 

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 Sudan Ambassador Condemns ICC Indictment: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sudan Ambassador on Working with ICC: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

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 Sudan Ambassador on Political Process: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Listen to Audio Report (2:51)

Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama made a campaign stop in midtown Manhattan last night. Obama spoke at a fundraising event attended by many supporters of former rival Hillary Clinton. The two high-profile Democrats appeared at a fundraising breakfast in New York today.

Obama’s speech emphasized unity and party loyalty. Obama took great care to mention and reiterate how similar he and Senator Clinton are on most policy issues. Obama also addressed recent criticism of his centrist posturing. He reminded the audience that he is still dedicated to withdrawing from Iraq, health care reform, and reducing carbon emissions.

After the speech, Obama made a move that recalled Steve Jobs’ famous rhetorical “one more thing” trick: he asked doners to remember Senator Clinton’s campaign debt and contribute to her repayment efforts. Obama claimed that helping Senator Clinton is akin to party unity.

 

 Obama in NYC: Yes We Can (Raise Money): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Katty Pien of Häagen Dazs talks about the diminishing honeybee population. Pien notes that the honeybees have mysteriously disappeared and that the company is committed to helping with their return. (0:45)

 

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Former White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush Scott McClellan testified under oath before the House Judiciary Committee. McClellan presented the committee with his knowledge of the lead-up to the war in Iraq and the Valerie Plame leak, two topics he discusses in his book “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.”

McClellan stated that he did not know if the leak of former covert CIA agent Valerie Plame was used as a way to further criticize Plame’s husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson. In his book, McClellan says that he finds it unlikely that President Bush would have authorized Scooter Libby to leak classified information and said he cannot rule out Vice President Cheney give the authorization. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said that the statements made in McClellan’s book are enough to consider impeachment proceedings on Cheney.

On the Iraq War, McClellan said that counterevidence is crucial in the lead-up to a war and that the Bush White House ignored evidence that was contradictory to the administration’s goals. Though he admitted Bush never used words like “shade the truth” or “propaganda,” McClellan said that the war was presented to Americans in those manners.

McClellan explained that the purpose for writing his book was to share his experiences with the American people and to analyze how a popular governor became a polarizing president, frequently beginning his responses by reminding the committee that he discussed the answer in his book. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) posed questions to McClellan that challenged his motivations for writing the book, asking about the political positions of the book’s editors and inquiring on the profits McClellan will receive. After McClellan repeatedly said “Can I finish my response?” as Smith interjected with additional questions, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) apologized to McClellan, stating that the committee’s purpose was to investigate topics discussed in the book, not to question McClellan’s character.

Code Pink , an anti-war protest group, gathered outside the, Republican National Committee, to protest the war in Iraq. They said that since U.S. intervention in Iraq more than 4,000 troops have died in combat and the number continues to grow. Code Pink also said that the government spends $11 million an hour, everyday, to fund the Iraq war. Code Pink also called Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) President Bush’s best friend, because Pelosi approved $165 billion to fund the war in Iraq.

At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on sovereign wealth funds, Jagdish Bhagwati, professor of law and economics at Columbia University, says that U.S. dependency on foreign funds controlled by governments causes political anxiety. He says that a reversal of power roles took the U.S. out of its “top dog” position. (0:42)

 

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In this clip from his keynote speech at the annual membership conference, Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU says that because of the ACLU he can finally be recognized across the country in his gay marriage. He goes on to criticize bush and highlight some of his mistakes, specifically corruption within the administration. (1:27)

 

 Standard Podcast [1:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every year, the Talk Radio News Service produces Talk Radio Day at the United Nations. The annual event precedes TRNS’s annual talk radio conference and features high-profile guests. Previous guests have included personalities such as Al Sharpton and Alan Colmes, as well as high-level UN ambassadors and representatives. Talk Radio hosts have included Marc Bernier, Jack Rice, Lars Larson, Michael Medved, Thom Hartmann, Doug Stephan and Joe Madison.

We’ll continue to update pictures, video, and audio through the day.

More pictures from TRNS 3rd Annual United Nations Talk Radio Day

Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, discusses her recent mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. Ms. Coomaraswamy’s mission was to meet and work with the governments of Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as UN agencies and non-state actors to discuss the status of children in armed conflict. Ms. Coomaraswamy was pleased to report that Chad will release all children in detention, provide the United Nations with a list of names, and work to reintegrate them into their communities. (2:09)

 

 Children in Armed Conflict 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Children in Armed Conflict 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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