UNITED NATIONS, April 15 -- The UN covered up information that Afghan national forces killed its staff member Louis Maxwell, and then when asked by Inner City Press, belatedly disclosed an FBI investigation and said that "the preliminary conclusions of the mission's investigation raised the disturbing possibility that a specific UN staff member may have died due to “friendly fire”, caused directly by responding Afghan security personnel" -- to another media, not the one which asked.
Management of information is one thing, but cover up and lies are another.
On April 14, based on a tip from a UN source in Afghanistan, Inner City Press asked about the death of UN staff member Louis Maxwell, a U.S. citizen, outside the UN's Kabul guesthouse on October 28, 2009. Given time to response, the UN send Inner City Press an email that the case was subject to a Board of Inquiry and FBI investigation, and that therefore there would be no more comment.
On April 15, Inner City Press asked again, including when the Board of Inquiry began, and why the UN had not retracted Secretary General Ban Ki-moon 2009 statements that the Taliban were responsible for Louis Maxwell's murder. UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky told Inner City Press to "be careful" what words it used, and later said only that the Board of Inquiry began in January.
Nesirky's Associate Farhan Haq, however, issued a quote to another media -- which had not asked any questions at the UN's noon briefing -- that
"The preliminary conclusions of the mission's investigation raised the disturbing possibility that a specific UN staff member may have died due to 'friendly fire,' caused directly by responding Afghan security personnel. Once the BOI is finalized, we will share our findings with the Government of Afghanistan and if warranted we will ask for a thorough investigation surrounding the death of this UN employee and the circumstances of the deaths of the other UN employees."
One questions why the UN didn't disclose this "disturbing possibility" when it became aware of it, and then refused to disclosed it to accredited media which asked about it in open UN noon briefing sessions. This UN goes lower and lower every day.
Meanwhile, Inner City Press asked the US Mission to the UN
This is a request for comment on newly emerged information about the death in Afghanistan on October 28, 2009 of U.S. citizen Louis Maxwell.
At the time, Ambassador Rice said
I condemn in the strongest terms the brutal and cowardly attack in Kabul today on United Nations workers and members of the Afghan National Security Forces. An American citizen was among those who lost their lives. My heartfelt condolences and sympathies go out to the families and friends of all of the victims.
The United Nations has been doing vital work for the Afghan people for more than fifty years. The United States strongly supports the leadership and staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan as they work bravely each day under incredibly difficult circumstances, and we are grateful to the Afghan National Security Forces for their commitment and sacrifice.
The international community stands together in its commitment to defeat those extremists seeking to halt democratic progress in Afghanistan. The United States stands firmly with the people of Afghanistan as they prepare for the November 7 presidential runoff elections.
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2009/131010.htm
Yesterday, after I asked a question at the noon briefing, the UN Spokesperson's office sent me this
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply
Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Subject: Your questions on Louis Maxwell
To: Inner City Press
(further response on Louis Maxwell)
The United Nations has followed due process in investigating the death of staff in Afghanistan last October by instituting a Board of Inquiry after an initial fact-finding by staff in Kabul and New York. The United Nations has been in contact with the responsible Afghan authorities in the course of its inquiries. The Board will submit its report in due course. Further actions by the United Nations will depend on its findings. The specific circumstances in which Louis Maxwell died are currently being investigated and it would be premature to comment further at this stage.
The United Nations is also cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its inquiries into the incident. The United Nations has briefed the Maxwell family on the progress of its initial inquiries and is determined to support the family.
Questions: when did the US State Dept and, separately, Amb. Rice become aware of a credible alternative factual explanation of the attack and death, and of the US FBI's involvement in investigating this alternative explanation?
Why was Amb Rice's statement not amended at that time?
Is the statement going to be amended or supplemented now?
While the US Mission to the UN declined to respond in writing, as part of a telephone conversation the Spokesman of the US Mission, Mark Kornblau, provide this on the record response:
"As the UN Spokesman noted yesterday, there are ongoing investigations by the UN and FBI. It would be premature for us to comment at this time."
Some note that given the political situation between the Obama Administration and Hamid Karzai, the disclosure of a the murder of a U.S. citizen by Afghan national forces under Karzai's command would be inconvenient, to say the least. Asked about this concern, the US Mission to the UN had no on the record comment. Watch this site.
Footnote: the UN and US State Department might want to start changing their close to the chest communications strategy on this -- Inner City Press' Kabul sources say that ABC News has a crew on the ground now investigating Louis Maxwell's murder.
From the April 15 UN transcript:
Inner City Press: After yesterday’s noon briefing, your office issued a statement about the situation in Afghanistan -- the deaths of the UN staff, including Louis Maxwell -- saying, among other things, that “the United Nations is cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in its inquiries into this incident”. Because at times there have been some issues around UN cooperation with United States law enforcement, including in this building -- whether they have jurisdiction to come into the building, whether evidence is shared -- can you say when this cooperation began, of what it consisted, and ultimately isn’t it the UN’s responsibility? Who is leading the charge to find out who, in fact, killed these four UN staff members?
Spokesperson Nesirky: There is a Board of Inquiry, as I think you know. The United Nations instituted this Board of Inquiry after initial fact-finding by staff in Kabul and New York. The United Nations has been in contact with the responsible Afghan authorities in the course of its inquiries. The Board will submit its report in due course. Any further actions by the United Nations will depend on the findings, and it would be premature at this point to comment further.
Inner City Press: Like you had said, “as you were aware”, but I was not aware until yesterday afternoon that there was a Board of Inquiry.
Spokesperson: That is why you were aware, because you were told yesterday afternoon.
Inner City Press: Sure. Mr. Ban said clearly at the stakeout that this was an attack by the Taliban that had done it. Once the UN became enough aware that they created this Board of Inquiry, was there any thought given to saying “things are not as we first presented them”? And secondarily, on these boards of inquiry, how many of them are there? Are there just UN staff on it? Is it an outside Board of Inquiry? How many, I mean…
Spokesperson: There is a standard way to institute a board of inquiry, and I am sure that you are familiar with that. You have been here far longer than I have. The UN takes extremely seriously any incident which results in the loss of life in whatever circumstances of a UN staff member, and will investigate it thoroughly. And clearly the UN, as I mentioned, has been cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its inquiries into the incident. As we have also mentioned -- and I think you need to take that into account, too -- the United Nations has been briefing the family of Mr. Maxwell on its initial inquiries and will continue to support the family.
Inner City Press: Thanks for saying that, but this Board of Inquiry, you are saying, whenever staff are killed, the UN moves to this. Was this Board of Inquiry set up at the time that these five staff members were murdered? Or was it created at some later date, and what triggered its creation?
Spokesperson: Matthew, I should be very careful in the words that you are using. There is a Board of Inquiry and there is an investigation going on that involves the FBI. And the Afghan authorities are also investigating this, and it is part of -- as I mentioned earlier in a different context -- due process when you are investigating. Be very careful what words you are using.
Inner City Press: Is there any question… it is a question of who did the murder?
Spokesperson: There is an investigation going on.
Inner City Press: Right. Is it a new investigation? This took place in October and we are now in April. Has it been going on since October? I will just leave it at that. When was the date that this Board of Inquiry was instituted, since it is such a well known procedure how these things are done? When was it done? When was this created?
Spokesperson: I will let you know.
[The Spokesperson later added that, in January, the United Nations established a high-level Board of Inquiry to establish the facts and look for lessons learned.]
"Lessons learned," indeed. Watch this site.And see, www.innercitypress.com/unleak3afgh041510.html
