In the United Nations

The Security Council rebuffed calls by several Arab nations for an open debate on the Gulf War but decided to continue nformal consultations behind closed doors. ALGERIA, LIBYA, MAURITANIA, MOROCCO, TUNISIA, SUDAN and JORDAN made the request. The United States and its allies on the 15-nation council oppose the meeting. In Geneva, the UNITED STATES denounced Baghdad’s use of captured airmen as human shields and said Iraq has no right to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Commission. In KENYA, the U.N. Environment Program appealed to the combatants to provide data on the oil spill and allow its experts into the area.