Thursday 16 December 2010

UN chief Ban's secret: boxers not briefs

UNITED NATIONS — UN leader Ban Ki-moon has revealed one of the secrets that did not come out on WikiLeaks: he is a boxers not briefs man.

The UN secretary general, who was allegedly the target of US orders to get personal details, mocked the leaked diplomatic cables in a tongue-in-cheek speech to the annual UN Correspondents' Association dinner late Wednesday.

Ban started his speech, to an audience that included US ambassador Susan Rice, by flashing details such as "credit card number" "shoe size" and "ring finger 7.5" onto the screen.

"Boxers not briefs" proclaimed one of the nuggets given to the diplomatic audience.

According to the leaked cables, reported by international media, US diplomats at the United Nations were told to find out the credit card numbers, email addresses, phone, fax and pager numbers and even frequent-flyer numbers for UN leaders.

The US ambassador featured in her own spoof, a UN Security Council debate on how to counter the bedbug epidemic that has gripped New York.

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