'Palestine bid faces new barrier at UN'

Editor's Note:  The 'mini moves' begin.
PressTV

The Palestinian statehood bid at the UN might suffer as new temporary members to the body are obedient to the United States, a UN analyst says.

"This election won't help the Palestinian cause," UN analyst at Century Foundation Jeff Laurenti was quoted as saying by Businessweek on Saturday.

"Guatemala will be in favor of everything Palestinian until the Americans tell them otherwise. They can be persuaded to abstain," he added.

On Friday, Pakistan, Morocco, Togo and Guatemala were elected to the 15-nation UN Security Council for 2012 and 2013.

The new states replaced Lebanon, Nigeria, Gabon and Brazil.

The previous members had been expected to support the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN Security Council.

The new countries will start their two-year term on January 1.

The Palestinian Authority would be more hopeful if it pushes for a vote on membership in November when the Security Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the bid.

On September 23, acting Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Mahmoud Abbas presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the statehood proposal during the UN General Assembly's annual session in New York.

The PA has reportedly secured the support of ten of the UNSC's membership with India, Nigeria, Gabon, and Bosnia most recently siding with the Palestinians on the issue.

However, the US, among the Security Council's five permanent members, which have veto powers, has vowed to thwart the bid.

Bosnia is also the fifth country that would be replaced by Azerbaijan or Slovenia until Monday.

There are five veto-holding permanent members of the Security Council -- the US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- and 10 temporary elected members without vetoes. 

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