As Ban Ki-moon Met Saudi Sponsored Syria Rebel Jarba, Ban's Office Tells ICP Unaware of Syria Letter- But Here It Is

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 28 -- On September 27 at the UN Security Council stakeout, on UN Television, Inner City Press asked Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari about the French sponsored meeting in the UN ECOSOC chamber on September 26 promoting Saudi-sponsored rebel boss Ahmad al Jarba.

  Ja'afari replied, on camera, that Syria had protested that meeting in advance in a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "yesterday, actually before yesterday." Video here,from Minute 7:52.

  It was not possible on September 27 to ask Ban Ki-moon: at the stakeout, he took only two question, both from board members of the UN Correspondents Association which supports and hosted Jarba for a faux UN briefing in July.

(They tried again this week; the new Free UN Coalition for Access @FUNCA_info asked Ban's spokesperson's office how this was legitimate and was told to "ask UNCA." Friday the briefing was held outside the UN in a hotel; Jarba left early.)

  But after Ban's Spokesperson at 7:40 pm on September 28 announced that Ban met earlier in the day with Jarba, Inner City Press immediately asked about Syria's protest.

  Ban's spokespersons office replied:

Subject: Your questions
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The Secretary-General met with Mr. al-Jarba at his Residence this evening with a small number of the Secretary-General's senior advisers.

The Spokesperson is not aware of any letter so far from the Syrian Mission on the topic you mention.

This last is problematic. Inner City Press has obtained a copy of Syria's letter -- dated September 24 -- to not only Ban but also the Under Secretaries General of DGACM and DPI, and we are putting it online here:http://www.innercitypress.com/syria2bandpijarba092413.pdf

Ban and his Office are clearly attuned to the views and communications of France and the US. But what about this letter? Was it really never received? This will have to be answered. Watch this site.