Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/iraq1bunker012108.html
UNITED NATIONS, January 21 -- "Baghdad is not Alcapulco," the UN's envoy to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, told reporters on Monday. Inner City Press asked him about the UN General Assembly declining to approve in December a $180 million request to build a new UN headquarters, which delegates took to calling "the Bunker," in the Green Zone. "The so-called bunker," de Mistura replied, "I don't like the name, as you know... It may appear to be bunkerized... we will come up with a revised proposal." Among the questions raised by the General Assembly were why Iraq or the U.S. were not paying for the bunker. De Mistura made much of a new but vague Iraqi pledge to contribute. Video here, from Minute 36:34.
De Mistura was asked about his hiring of the Secretary-General's son-in-law as his deputy; one correspondent ask if this hiring, and that of the son of previous Secretary-General Kofi Annan's chief of staff Iqbal Riza, were just "coincidences." De Mistura replied that he meets many promising people, some of whom turn out to be the sons of high UN officials (who in turn select him for posts). Inner City Press asked a follow-up, if this particular hiring raised unique security concerns, on which grounds for example the UK Prince's military deployment was ultimately cancelled. "This may raise attention," de Mistura conceded, before saying that there is already attention on the UN in Iraq.
Asked about the UN's continued use of Fijian peacekeepers, after Kofi Annan said this might be reconsidered after Fiji's military coup, de Mistura answers, "This is beyond my brief. I speak for Iraq." Video here, from Minute 42:40. We'll see.
