U.S. Rethinks Boycott of U.N.'s Durban Racism Conference
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is reconsidering its planned boycott of a controversial U.N. racism conference that is deeply opposed by Israel and Jewish groups and will be attended by Iran's president, the State Department said late Monday.
In a move likely to upset its staunchest Mideast ally and its supporters, the department said the administration was pleased by a diplomatic push to revise an objectionable document that the meeting will adopt and suggested it could attend the meeting if the efforts succeed.
"We hope that these remaining concerns will be addressed so that the United States can re-engage the conference process with the hope of arriving at a conference document that we can support," spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement.
The announcement came as the administration reviews its policy on Iran with an eye toward engaging the Islamic government and as Iran's official news agency reported that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend the April 20-25 World Conference Against Racism in Geneva.
Barry's really thinking big these days....he's going to try to toss an entire country under his bus.
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