At UN, Rudd Downplays Timor Shoot-Out Flap, Internal Investigation May Never Be Released

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1ruddtimor032908.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 29 -- Days after Timor L'Este president Jose Ramos-Horta criticized both UN Police and Australian troops for inaction while he was shot and almost killed, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd emerged Saturday from a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and, in summarizing the topics discussed, did not mention East Timor. He listed Darfur, Afghanistan, climate change and Australia's bid for a Security Council seat in 2013. Inner City Press asked for his response to Ramos-Horta's statements, including that "Australian troops only act upon requests from the United Nations." Rudd responded, not on the chain of command question, but that "the UN has underway its own internal investigation of the security arrangements concerning him at the time."

But will that UN investigation ever be made public? Inner City Press on Friday asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson, and drew a prepared "if-asked" response, then an evasion on whether the report will be made public. Video here from Minute 14:12.

Footnote: Kevin Rudd on Saturday named as Australia's competitors for the UN Security Council seat in 2013 Luxembourg and Finland. Based the current campaign being run by Turkey, Rudd might want to start buying some soccer balls -- click here for that.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1ruddtimor032908.html