NYC Letter: Hizballah Secret Santa

We all know transparency in government is a good -- so how much better to be completely invisible!

Or is it that the UN is so disreputable that skilled professionals will only associate themselves anonymously?

ANNAN TO APPOINT 'SECRET' MIDDLE EAST MEDIATOR

BEIRUT September 5, 2006 (Scotsman) - Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, said yesterday he would appoint a secret negotiator to mediate between Israel and Hezbollah for the release of two Israeli soldiers seized in July.

"The two sides have accepted the effort of the secretary-general to help solve this problem," Mr Annan told a news conference in Saudi Arabia. "I will appoint a person to work secretly with the two sides ... I will not announce his name today or tomorrow," he said.

Mr. Annan may decide to not announce the secret mediator's name the day after tomorrow later today. An expert secret-keeper, Mr. Annan said he got the idea reading about the popular secret Santa practice in the American workplace.

UPDATE: Earn valuable prize points* by guessing the identity of Mr. Annan's secret mediator. Winners will have their guess(es) published in the NYT with an uncredited source attribution. Alexander from Canada over at The Scotsman has several guesses of candidates with standing at the UN:

George Galloway? Ken Livingstone? Tongsun Park? Boutros-Boutros? Annan Jr.? Maurice Strong? Jimmy Carter? Harold Pinter? Mugabwe? Bono?

* Each published guess is worth 2 prize points. Ten prize points are redeemable for a digital E-N! loving cup -- but only if the NYT discloses your name as a source.