Small bites from the UN: Terminator, outside meddling, more on that ‘annihilate’ comment

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The leaders of many island nations spoke of the dangers of climate change. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore was also on scene, talking to reporters as part of New York Climate Week.

Watchers from across the globe could find news that affected their lives at the U.N. General Assembly meetings. Here are a few moments:

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Limiting killer robots, referencing Terminator

When Austria took the podium, its most famous actor came up.

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria’s federal minister for European and international Affairs, referenced the “Terminator” movies, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, when speaking out against autonomous weapons.

The “killer robot” played by Schwarzenegger was science fiction, but autonomous weapons are now real, she said.

“Machines are gaining more freedom to find and strike targets. But a machine cannot understand surrender, nor mercy. It cannot face a court or answer for a death. It must never have the final say over who lives and who dies,” she said.

She called for international rules prohibiting machines from deciding to take human life.

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‘We are the only ones who will negotiate’

The prime ministers of Iraq and Lebanon both called for weapons and decisions over war and peace to be brought under state control, as both governments seek to disarm active armed groups in their countries.

For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut, whose government has been pushing to disarm Hezbollah, must “reclaim our decision,” with no weapons or decisions to go to war outside state institutions.

“We are the only ones who will negotiate,” he said, referring to Iran, which sought to include the war in Lebanon in its own negotiations with Washington, a position backed by Hezbollah, while Beirut pursued separate talks with Israel.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Baghdad’s priority was to keep weapons in the hands of constitutional institutions and pledged to strengthen the rule of law.

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Could a woman be the next secretary general?

Several leaders noted that a woman has never led the international body, and they called for that to change.

“It is time for women to lead this organization. A leader who will defend the charter without exception, who can turn reform into delivery, and who will listen to all member states, including smallest,” said Hussain Muhammad Latif, vice president of the Maldives.

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About that ‘annihilate’ comment

On Thursday, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama seemed to reference Donald Trump’s speech on Tuesday when the U.S. president suggested he might “annihilate” Iran.

“No human civilization deserves to be annihilated, and certainly not a member of the United Nations,” Mahama said.

Asked about that comment while visiting the Council on Foreign Relations, Mahama said Friday that he’s a student of history and has studied all civilizations.

“If anybody proposes a concept of annihilating a civilization, it’s anathema to me. So I’m not referring to anybody,” he said, drawing a few laughs from the audience. “My words were simple, and to be understood: No civilization deserves to be annihilated. That’s it, period.”

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Jennifer McDermott in New York and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.