GENEVA
THE UN opens its first global racism conference in eight years today with at least six countries, including the United States, boycotting the event out of concern that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Islamic countries will demand a final statement that criticizes Israel.
The administration of President Barack Obama announced on Saturday that it would boycott "with regret" the week-long meeting in Geneva, which is already experiencing much of the bickering and political infighting that marred the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa.
The Netherlands declared its boycott yesterday, while Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy already have said they would not attend. Britain has said it will send diplomats, despite concerns that the meeting could become a forum for Holocaust denial or anti-Semitic attacks.-AP
