PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, JUNE 19, SPA -- A TOP U.N. OFFICIAL ON MONDAY URGED THE UNITED STATES TO CLOSE DOWN ITS PRISON CAMP AT GUANTANAMO BAY, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED HIS APPEAL TO THE «AMERICAN CONSCIENCE» IS UNLIKELY TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. MARK MALLOCH BROWN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN’S MOST SENIOR DEPUTY, SAID DURING A VISIT TO MALAYSIA THAT THERE IS «NO DOUBT ABOUT THE U.N.’S STAND» ON WANTING THE PRISON CAMP IN CUBA TO BE WOUND UP. «YOU ARE DOING YOURSELF NO FAVORS BY KEEPING GUANTANAMO BAY GOING. IT’S JUST NOT GOOD FOR THE U.S. REPUTATION,» MALLOCH BROWN TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE FOR MALAYSIAN JOURNALISTS. A RECORDING OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE WAS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. MALLOCH BROWN IS IN MALAYSIA TO INAUGURATE A U.N.-BACKED FORUM ON USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO REACH DEVELOPMENT TARGETS. MALLOCH BROWN SAID POWERFUL COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE U.S. DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO ABIDE BY U.N. SUGGESTIONS. «THE U.N. IS NOT VERY GOOD AT MAKING COUNTRIES CHANGETHEIR WAYS OVERNIGHT. ... BUT I WOULD BET YOU NOW THATGUANTANAMO BAY WILL NOT BE THERE IN 10 YEARS. IN FACT, IWONDER IF IT WILL BE THERE IN EVEN A YEAR,» HE SAID. «IN THE CASE OF GUANTANAMO BAY, IT IS AN APPEAL TO THEAMERICAN CONSCIENCE,» HE SAID. --SPA 19/06/2006 13:12 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/369737