By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, August 7 -- Just after Yemen's Mission to the United Nations wrote a $223,675 check to the UN for its 2012 due on June 20, its Ali Saleh-aligned Permanent Representative wrote himself a cashier's check on the Mission's Bank of America account, Arab diplomatic sources have exclusively told Inner City Press.
The impact was that during the August 3 UN General Assembly vote to condemn Syria's Bashar al Assad, the move of this Ali Saleh supporter made it so that Yemen could not vote, despite being a co-sponsor of the resolution.
While some media mocked Yemen for sponsoring and not voting, Inner City Press reported even that day that Yemen was barred from voting by the UN's pay-to-vote rules. But afterward Inner City Press learned the reason for the failure to pay.
The Yemeni mission's Bank of America Operating Account, ACT R/T 054001204, delivered its $223,675.00 check to the UN's Contribution and Policy Coordination Service on the 28th floor of the UN-rented building at 380 Madison Avenue.
But simultaneously, the Saleh-aligned Permanent Representative was withdrawing the money so the check would bounce. Some might consider this a crime. But a self-described Arab diplomat tells Inner City Press of
"the cheap game played by the Permanent Representative and his Foreign Minister who still follow the overthrown dictator, he withdrew the whole account after issuing a check so the UN check will bounce so Yemen can't vote."
And so it goes at the UN with the Arab Spring. Watch this site.
