By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unama4sideline102909.html
UNITED NATIONS, October 29 -- In the aftermath of the Taliban's attack on UN staff in Kabul, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon briefing the Security Council and the Press about a plan to allocate and spend more money on security. Mr. Ban arranged with General Assembly President Ali Treki to brief the Assembly on October 30. His Office said that a dollar figure will be released then and only then.
Earlier on Thursday, Ban's Spokesperson declined to respond to an accusation by the developing countries in the Group of 77 that Ban has been making budget moves impermissibly without General Assembly approval. Inner City Press asked about G-77 testimony that morning in the Fifth (Budget) Committee, but Spokesperson Michele Montas said no response would be given, she "will not intervene in this." Video here, from Minute 13:48.
Does the subsequently arranged General Assembly appearance by Ban imply a recognition that Assembly approval must be sought and obtained? Inner City Press on Thursday asked the spokesman for President Ali Treki if it is Mr. Treki's view that Ban needs General Assembly approval, and has been told an answer will be given. Video here, from Minute 20:37.
Speaking to the Press after the Council, Ban was asked if the increased security might include private military contractors. To many of the assembly reporters, Ban appeared to say yes, and then to smile when the name "Blackwater" was shouted. There are issues with the UN using mercenaries -- as Inner City Press was the first to report, the UN used them in Iraq, but borrowed them from the UK and left it on the UK's budget, not the UN's.
Ban was also asked for the UN's response to the announcement by the Hamid Karzai-dominated Independent Elections Commission that it will open 155 more of the phantom polling stations that resulted in findings of fraud in the first round.
While Ban has said that polling stations that cannot be monitored should not be opened, the IEC now reportedly intends to increase the number of stations from 6167 to 6322, in an atmosphere less secure and harder to monitor than before.
And if the second round, too, is fraudulent, will there be a third round? Watch this site.
