By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- As UN Security Council members came Wednesday to meet May's Council President, from Togo, Inner City Press alone in front of the Council asked them exclusively about Syria being a footnote in the month's program of work.
UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said while it's just a footnote, Syria comes up at least three other times in the month: the luncheon with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the closing "wrap-up" session, and during the Middle East debate. But only the last of these is public, and then, the Observer State of Palestine, and Syria, complain that the focus has shifted.
Australia's Permanent Representative Gary Quinlan said Syria might be a footnote "on a piece of paper" -- meaning the program of work -- is was clearly more than that, for the Council.
Pakistan's Permanent Representative Masood Khan quipped that the footnote could sometimes be the headline.
Rwanda's Permanent Representative Eugene Richard Gasana ended his Council presidency at the April 30 wrap up session by wondering aloud why the Council meets every two weeks about Sudan and South Sudan, but Syria is just a footnote.
Inner City Press asked US Ambassador Susan Rice not about Syria, but about Sudan: click here for that. Watch this site.
