By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 5 -- When the UN held its noon briefing on Friday, Inner City Press told Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey that it would ask a question about Haiti after one about Sudan.Video here, from Minute 23:33.
When Ban tersely denied claims for the UN bringing cholera to Haiti, Inner City Press repeatedly asked for the legal basis for dismissal.
Del Buey and lead spokesman Martin Nesirky refused to provide the basis, but at least they allowed the question to be asked.
But on April 5 the UN went further. After saying he would look into Inner City Press' Sudan question, Del Buey turned to another reporter and said “last question.” Video here, from Minute 24:18.
Inner City Press asked what the timing problem was, that the Haiti question could not be asked.
Del Buey said, we've spent a lot of time here.
Well. Two days before, by holding his briefing at the same time as US Ambassador Susan Rice took questions by the Security Council, Del Buey escaped with only two questions asked, a six minute briefing.
Friday's was less than half an hour, much of it taken up by Nesirky calling in from Madrid to promote a forthcoming YouTube video featuring Ban Ki-moon (and the courageous Pakistani schoolgirl Malala).
So the UN doesn't have half an hour, after bringing cholera to Haiti and killing at least 5000 people? Or how about sexual abuse?
The victim of a mock rape by UN Peacekeepers from Uruguay has applied to enter to US, one hope in order to sue or otherwise hold the UN accountable. His lawyers Jayne Fleming and Robert Rubin have filed an application for humanitarian parole for him with the US Department of Homeland Security.
What does the UN think of this? Seems like it might be a spokesperson's job to take, and maybe even answer, this question. But not in Ban Ki-moon's UN, apparently. If Ban can say the claims of having killed 5000 people in Haiti are “not receivable,” why receive a question? Watch this site.
