On Tuesday, I took a brief break from saving the world from drugs, crime, and terrorism, one photocopy at a time, to sit in on a workshop on the international legal framework against terrorism attended by members of the Arab League. While the meeting itself was fairly incomprehensible (example: "If you recall paragraph three of Security Council Resolution 1540..."), just being in the room was almost... magical. Is that word appropriate here? Yes, I think so. Magical. In case you haven't guessed, I was not groomed for a life of diplomacy and international intrigue. I'm from Lake City, a neighborhood best known for its used car dealerships, hookers, and general desperation. It's been a long journey.
But I digress. Back to the meeting. Fun highlights include the following:
- The Saudi delegation prefaced every question/comment with some kind of shout-out to God. The Arab League's answer to Alabama? I think so.
- Speaking of Saudi Arabia, there were only two women present in all of the delegations combined, and one of those women was part of the Saudi delegation. Interesting, no?
- One of the Sudanese delegates slept through most of the workshop.
- The Tunisian delegate asked a lot of really good questions. That guy was prepared.
