Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com is honored to have as our guest, Pedro Sanjuan, author of THE UN GANG: A Memoir of Incompetence, Corruption, Espionage, Anti-Semitism, and Islamic Extremism at the UN Secretariat. Good day Pedro and thank you for agreeing to participate in our interview. Norm: Pedro, please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background. Pedro: A meddlesome U.S. Government official who succeeded for 27 years by telling the State Department that it was racist, the Defense Department that the Navy couldnt shell Caribbean islands inhabited by Americans or anyone else, the Inter-American Development Bank that its corruption was unacceptable, the Micronesian U.S. territories they should be independent. During 6 different administrations and in 7 different departments and the White House staff, this trouble-maker became sought after as a troubleshooter lastly at the UN Secretariat as the top US spy. See website. Norm: What were your official and unofficial duties at the UN Secretariat, when you first were appointed to your post in 1984 by then-Vice President George H. W. Bush? How did you react when you received news of your appointment? Pedro: It was a U.S. Government conspiracy. First I was appointed Assistant Secretary of Interior for International Affairs, but because of my Russian and other government intelligence background, the White House waited for a UN Secretariat position at the top level to come open. At that level, the UN tradition is to make appointments suggested by certain member states. When the Director for Political Affairs came open, Bush pushed me down the throat of the UN Secretary-General in spite of Soviet opposition, and I became known as the top American spy. Unofficially, but actually, I was there to spy on the spies who spied on the U.S. It was a complicated situation, but not uninteresting. The Soviets could say nothing for they had 274 KGB spies on board. Norm: Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Pedro: Abraham Foxman, Chairman of the U.S. ADL, heard me speak, persuaded me to write a book, turned me over to his literary agent, Lynne Rabinoff, and she right off got Doubleday. No rejections. Norm: Your book is surely going ruffle a few feathers, have you received any nasty feedback pertaining to some of your comments about Anti-Semitism, and other topics you touched upon in your book? As a follow up, why do you feel that this was an important book for you to write and for all of us to read at this time? Pedro: Im sure I have ruffled feathers at the UN, though many staffers have read the book and agree with it. Everywhere I have spoken, throughout the U.S. and Canada, I have received enthusiastic reactions, including the U.S. Congress. The subject of deeply rooted anti-Semitism at the UN Secretariat is an outrage and my audience, which is quite varied, agrees. Norm: What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges? Pedro: After 10 years at the UN Secretariat with the support of the U.S. Government, I knew quite well whereof I wrote. I have had no challenges that I am aware of, probably because there is no way you can justify this sewer sludge of anti-Semitism sloshing through the halls of the UN Secretariat. Norm: Since you left your post at the UN, do you believe that much of what you had to say in your book is still prevalent? Pedro: Efforts have been made to whitewash UN anti-Semitism and the moral corruption, but the situation is the result of more than 50 years of ignorance of what goes on in the UN Secretariat and indifferences by member states to the degeneracy that has been allowed to corrupt the UN, so no radical change has taken place. Norm: Why hasnt there been more media exposure on what you have to say in your book? After all, as you mention in the book, the American taxpayer pays about twenty-five percent of the UNs budget. Pedro: Because the business of the UN Secretariat has been accepted as being secret and not the business of UN member states. The U.S. has had and still has no access to financial accounting records. The UN has basked in an image of nobility until recently. Now the scandals are being featured in the press, but they only scratch the surface of a very unfortunate and tragic situation. Norm: What do you have to say about Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejads outrageous statements about Israel and how should the UN deal with it? Do you believe they will deal with it appropriately? Pedro: By now the UN has not dealt appropriately with the Iranian presidents outrageous statements about Israel. Only belatedly did the UN Secretary-General cancel his trip to Iran, and only with characteristic reserve did he oppose Ahmadeinejads pointed remarks. In Iran itself, the Islamic sector of that peculiar government criticized and even rejected Ahmadinejad more forcefully than did the UN Secretary-General. Norm: If you had to choose one Secretary-General of the UN whom you believe to be the most effective and competent, which one would you choose and why? Pedro: At present the idea of choosing an effective Secretary-General is moot, since the system of corruption and secrecy prevails. The present Secretary-General is no more corrupt than his predecessors who succeeded Dag Hammarskjld. The system has to change and the secrecy has to be replaced by total transparency because the UN BELONGS to its 191 member states. Under the present set-up no secretary-general, however well-intentioned, would make any difference. No self-respecting international leader would accept to be hobbled under the existing system. However, the present practice (of 50 years) of only appointing secretaries-general from small, third world countries, should be scrapped. A capable candidate should be considered from any member state after the UN Secretariat is thoroughly informed. Norm: How have you used the Internet to promote your books and your ideas? Pedro: I have a website, which needs much refurbishing because it is too big and diffuse. Amazon.com peddles my books and Doubleday has put my latest one on its website. I believe the Internet has tremendous potential, but I have a lot to learn. Norm: Do you have anything else you'd like to share with our readers? Pedro: Anti-Semitism has been the scourge of Europe for more than 500 years. I believe it destroyed Germany in the last century. It is still not recognized that over 4 million Jews and millions of other victims of WW II were, in fact, Germans. Anti-Semitism is raising its ugly head again because it has never died. That it should be an underlying force at the UN, equated with opposition to the U.S., is not only tragic but extremely dangerous for Israel, for the U.S. and most of all for the viability of any future version of the UN. Thank you once again Pedro and good luck with your book. |
