UNITED NATIONS, August 2 -- How badly does Ban Ki-moon want a second term as UN Secretary General?
So badly, sources tell Inner City Press, that he has offered special input into the awarding of the top job in the new UN Women agency to Permanent Five Security Council members who could block his second term, in exchange for their support.
This quid pro quo was not favorably viewed in Washington. With UN management harshly criticized in the End of Assignment report of outgoing Office of Internal Oversight Services chief Inga Britt Ahlenius, it was hardly the time to offer top posts in exchange for political support for a second term.
The U.S. State Department of Hillary Clinton, in any case, felt it should have input into who heads UN Women without having to lock in support for Ban Ki-moon getting a second term.
Back in 1996, the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton played its cards close to the chest until, late in the process, Madeleine Albright came out against Boutros Boutros Ghali. (For the record, Susan Rice is reciting support for Ban Ki-moon as well.) Team Ban does not like that precedent and is seeking commitments now. But this, one source said, was just too ham handed.
The Obama administration cannot accomplish its goals through the UN with Ban Ki-moon at the helm, argued the reflexively pro-UN pundit James Traub, probably too practical to intentionally burn his bridges to the UN.
Some time ago, Inner City Press exclusively reported the first fear among Team Ban, that the U.S. will cede the top post at the World Bank in 2012 to China, in exchange for Asia Group control of the UN S-G post being moved, and Obama getting his own choice. This fear and possibility remains.
There is another UN women -- without the capital W -- theory on the move in the North Lawn building. In it, Inga Britt Ahlenius' devastating memo is linked with the ambitions of her friend Alicia Barcena to swoop in as Secretary General in 2012.
Inner City Press has already shown Ahlenius writing to Barcena to be sure to be on selection panel to get Ahlenius' friend Danielle Coolen a job. Click here for the story, here for Ms. Ahlenius' email. But these theorist say Ahlenius and Barcena met and dined before the fateful memo was leaked, and that there are other UN women, some ostensibly close to Ban Ki-moon, involved in the plan. Watch this site.
Footnote: the interview for the top UN Women post were presumably to have included, or been led by, Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro, interim head of UN Women. But with Ms. Migiro in Uganda and now on annual leave, the interviews have proceeded, with the involvement of Ban's senior advisor Kim Won-soo (who appears repeatedly and prominently in the Ahlenius memo.)
On August 2, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky who is in charge of the UN, with Mr. Ban traveling to Japan and Ms. Migiro on annual leave. While Nesirky insisted that Mr. Ban is always in charge, Inner City Press asked if anyone had formally be made officer in charge. Watch this site.
