UNITED NATIONS, March 13, updated -- The ouster from the State Department of spokesman PJ Crowley for calling the Defense Department's treatment of accused Wikileaker Bradley Manning “counterproductive and stupid” was not unexpected.
But viewed from the UN, it looks particularly stupid and counterproductive.
Crowley's too infrequent visits to the US Mission to the UN's new briefing room were bursts of news and on-the-record quotes that differed from the usual silence from USUN.
In September 2010 during the UN General Debate, Crowley led a press conference including Samantha Power, and took questions from a range of media. During the session, Inner City Press got an on the record response about Sudan, and later from Crowley an answer on Myanmar he couldn't give the first time around.
By contrast, the US Mission to the UN rarely holds press briefings or even informal stakeouts in front of the Security Council. While the previous US Mission spokesman routinely briefed journalists before Council meetings, the US is now noticeably absent from such session. A non permanent member, India, holds month dinner press briefings by its Ambassador, unlike US Perm Rep Susan Rice.
It is not just about face time. Ten days ago, Inner City Press e-mailed the three top USUN spokespeople a simple request for the US position on the UN in Sudan providing free flights to Ahmed Haroun, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur.
After four days of silence from the US Mission -- during which time the UK Mission to the UN, for example, submitted a response -- Inner City Press reminded lead USUN spokesman Mark Kornblau of the questions, now including one about violence in Sudan's contested Abyei region. I just got back, he quipped, I'm going to pretend I didn't get your e-mail.
Still having no response, Inner City Press asked an associate spokesperson who is now leaving the Mission. She said that an answer would be forthcoming. But still, none has been.
Perhaps the blame runs higher, in that Susan Rice despite her public statements about Darfur has had little to say on the topic of late. Rice is loath to criticize any action by the UN, including the UN Mission in Sudan flying an indicted war criminal around.
Under Rice, USUN has had little to nothing to say about improving UN management, remaining silent for example on the UN's recently exposed mishandling a contract with PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Perhaps the silence comes from the Secretary herself, Hillary Clinton, who POLITICO said never left Crowley crack her inner circle of Philippe Reines and counsel Cheryl Mills.
Here's hoping that Crowley's replacement Mike Hammer brings better performance, or at least more civility, to the US Mission to the UN. Second and third changes are usually the American way. But from here, it looks like the wrong person had to leave, and for the wrong reasons.
