At UN, Of Missing Staff and Undelivered Letters, Venom in the Council Triggers Mistranslation Charge

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1missing032508.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 -- "There's been a mistake in translation," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Tuesday told the Security Council, of which he serves as President this month. "The time limit on statements is five minutes, not fifteen or twenty."

The UN's now-routine monthly briefing on the Middle East included back-and-forth between Israel and not only the Palestinian Permanent Observer and Syrian Ambassador, but also Cuba and Sudan. Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman denounced Libya for having blocked action after the killing of religious students in Jerusalem, referred to Sudan as the "monsters of Darfur," and questioned whether Cuba really speaks for the Non-Aligned Movement. Yes, Cuba answered, it spoke for all of NAM's 118 members.

Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson maintained that the Group of 77's letter protesting Ban's proposed merger of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa with Small Island Developing States and other mandates had still not been received. A G-77 member expressed wonder at what he called the breakdown in the UN's postal system. "It's that they don't want to answer the substance of the protest," he said. "So they say the letter's not been received." We'll see.

Speaking of letters, Inner City Press asked the head of the UN's Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio, at a briefing about an upcoming event on tuberculosis, about the letter he wrote to Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf back in December, with condolences for the still unsolved murder of Benazir Bhutto. Did Sampaio check with the Secretariat or his board of advisors and friends before issuing the letter? No, he said. It was only a condolence. Video here, last question. And now the new Prime Minister of Pakistan is asking for a UN investigation of Bhutto's murder.

Inner City Press asked the spokesperson's office Tuesday morning for a list of the 40 missing, arrested or detained staff members listed in the UN's press release. Twelve hours later, no such list was provided. This was the day of solidarity with missing staff, celebrated Monday by attendance at a film about Sergio de Mello, click here for that. The most recent Secretary-General's report lists 22 "staff members under arrest, detained or missing." So where are the other eighteen -- missing? There are other outstanding questions. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1missing032508.html