Address to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

• Author: Jones, David T.
• Position: United Nations

On February 28, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the UN Human Rights Council. She took 3000-plus words to say what could have been expressed in three: Qadhafi must go.

Indeed, it was remarkable that she did not choke on the language congratulating the HRC for moving to expel Libya--an organization whose principal function has appeared to be finding new ways to denounce the mote in Israel's eye while ignoring the beam in the eyes of other states.

And, almost amusingly, the secretary seems to have found in the dustbins of the previous administration a useful commitment to promoting democracy while offering platitudes such as "the power of human dignity is always underestimated until the day it finally prevails."

Nevertheless, Clinton used the opportunity to move beyond endorsing the efforts of democrats in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. She gingerly nudged Jordan and Bahrain to "take steps ... to open their political space." She urged the council to take stronger action against Iran asking rhetorically "Why do people have the right to live free from fear in Tripoli but not Tehran?"

And she laid down a three principle agenda for the council:

-- demonstrate the will to address gross abuses, hold...