By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 2 -- In the run up to Kofi Annan's closed door briefing of the UN Security Council about Syria on Monday, the Friends of Syria moved to fund and aid the rebels, including a US pledge of communications equipment.
Inner City Press asked Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi
Does the Joint Special Envoy have any view of or comment on the decision at the Friends of Syria meeting, attended by Deputy El-Kidwa, by Gulf states to start paying money to armed rebels in Syria, andthe possibility that these funds will be used to purchase weapons? What about the US saying it will provide communications equipment - does the JSE think there should be any restrictions on this? Will you confirm a DPKO advance team going early this week, and that the proposal is for 200 to 250 monitors?
Fazwi responded, but declined comment on assistance to the rebels:
Subject: Re: Hi, Q on outcome(s) of Friends of Syria meeting, and DPKO
Date: Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 1:19 AM
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] InnerCityPress.com
From: Ahmad Fawzi
I will not make any comment unti after the JSE briefs the Council today at 1000EST/1600CET.
I can confirm, however, the DPKO advance team getting ready to send advance team. No comment on figures, yet.
The figures were given out on Thursday March 29 by a "senior Western diplomat," seemingly sourced from the head of DPKO, the UN Peacekeeping department, who seen going into the Security Council's closed door briefing on Monday morning. As first reported by Inner City Press, he has proposed the use by the UN of drones -- some wonder if they would be useful, or are already fully in use by various parties, over Syria.
Another Security Council Permanent Representative, one of the Elected Ten and not Permanent Five, told the press on Friday March 31 on background that what he knew of DPKO's plans he only knew from reading the newspapers. And so it goes at the UN.
