ABC NIGHTLINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000200930009-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2008
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: November 2, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

'` Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-010708000200930009-7
2 NovEmber 1983 '
KOPPEL: To represent the United States on a day when it is being denounced by 108
nations must count as one of the more trying experiences in an ambassador's career,
but joining us live this evening nevertheless, a little bruised perhaps, but still
apparently unbowed, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeane\Kirkpatrick.
Well, they rejected you, they rejected your arguments,. they rejected the United
States' arguments, and what does that mean? JEANS KIRKPATRICK (U.S. Ambassador to the
UN): Well, it means that that's the way the world is. That's where we are, and
that's where the United Nations is. We acted with the nations of the Eastern
Caribbean Association, and I think we acted lawfully and correctly, let me say. Uh,
do you know, it's one of those typical UN events in which a great many countries and
their representatives say one thing privately and another thing publicly, and you get
a public outcome that looks as though the United States is less isolationist than
isolated. And that's the problem that we have to deal with in the world, and
especially in the United Nations.
KOPPEL: What are they saying to you privately? KIRKPATRICK: Privately they...
KOPPEL: And how many 'theys' are there? KIRKPATRICK: Well, there are a lot of
'theys,' and privately they say that they think it was a marvelous thing that we did,
~. and, uh, that it will, uh, have good effects all over the world, and they're glad we
did it, and, uh, that they have to do this and they hope we'll understand.
~COPPEL: That's enough to make you stop believing in the tooth fairy., isn't it?
BIRKPATRICK: Something like that. ,
-KOPPEL: Are you, are you angry, are you disillusioned, or didn't you have many '
illusions left? KIRKPATRICK: Well, I didn't have many illusions left about the UN,
that is, about the way nations behave, including our very good friends, actually in.
the UN We, uh, I keep saying this, you know, I've said it here, too, the I1N is a
political system. Countries don't, generally speaking, vote on the merits-of the
case.?.They vote as members of a party making calculations about the politics of the
UN's system, and we're a country without a party in that system. We, we are
frequently isolated in the UN. It's been the case, not just since Ronald Reagan was,
became president and I went to the UN, but for a long-time before that.
KOPPEL: Ambassador Kirkpatrick, I've gotta ask you, I mean, one can either take the
position that, 'Well, this is the way the UN is and it doesn't have any real effect,
so let's not worry about it too much,'. in which case, one has to ask, 'Why bother at
all?' Or one has to take the position that it does matter very much, we're
democratic, I mean, we're a democracy, we believe in the rule of the majority, and the
majority certainly spoke, the global majority, certainly spoke with a clarion-clear
voice at the UN today. Well, which is it? I mean, do we believe in it or...
KIRKPATRICK: Well, we don't just believe in the?rule of the majority, let's be clear
about that, neither in the UN nor in our oxn country. We believe in, you know, in a
lot of things. We believe in the rule?of law. We believe in democracy. We believe
in freedom, human rights. We believe in minority rights as well as majority rule.
Uh, let me just .say, though, I personally am alxays intensely bothered when there is a
resounding majority against us and our positions, which we take because we think are
right, in the UN. It's happened to us a good many times before, I would insist. More
often than not, we turn out to be isolated with Israel, in defense of Israel. This
time Israel chose to be isolated with us, in defense~of us, and we appreciate that.
? Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-010708000200930009-7
 ??~ Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-010708000200930009-7
KOPPEL: And what does it all mean, I mean, now that it's all done? So the
undersecretary goes over to Grenada, he does his fact-finding, he comes back, and
practically speaking... KIRKPATRICK: Well, you know, we give him, uh, support,
cooperation. Uh, we help arrange for the landing of his plane. I said to him he
could enjoy the sweet s~,ell of success if he tried to promote U.S. troop withdrawal
from Grenada, unlike his unhappy experiences in promoting troop withdrawal from
Afghanistan, Which he hasn't made much progress in efforts for more than a year.
Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-010708000200930009-7