By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 29, updated -- If this is how the UN will organize its supposed investigation of chemical weapons in Syria, it doesn't look good. Video here.
For Ban Ki-moon's 10:05 am “statement” about the probe, the press was told to assemble at 9:15 am at the office of UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit on the second floor. But Inner City Press was told that the screening equipment there didn't work, and so headed with the herd down to the lobby.
There, camera people were told to get in one line, reporters in another. But then after a security screening line that made US airports look like a ballet, the groups all joined together, with some still unscreened. It appeared to operate on the honor system.
Jammed into several elevators up to the 38th floor -- where the herd was told to turn around, Ban Ki-moon was speak in the lobby. Why he was speaking before rather than after he met his Swedish prober Ake Sellstrom was not explained.
Down in the lobby there was no UN wi-fi. Outside, Ban's taciturn head of Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous stood smoking, before heading to the Security Council to dissemble about Darfur. On April 25 he refused Inner City Press questions about Mali, Congo, Western Sahara and Cote d'Ivoire. But at least one didn't have to wait 50 minutes to try to ask a question.
Is this how the UN would conduct its Syria probe? Watch this site.
Update of 10:15 am - and after all that, Ban Ki-moon took no questions (FUNCA has raised this), had little information; it was said that there'd be more “at lunchtime.”
