By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 28 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon decided to meet with Saudi-sponsored Syria rebel boss Ahmad al Jarba, why was it not in his UN office but rather in his residence? Why was it not listed in the UN Media Alert? Why was no UN Photo taken?
These questions have been asked of Ban's top two spokespeople, without answer. By contrast, when Ban met with his Syria chemical weapons team leader, Ake Sellstrom, he not only had a photograph taken - he flashed the first page of the report, expressing concern about sarin in Syria.
So why sneak around? What is Ban Ki-moon's response to the "urgent' September 24th letter sent to him and his Under Secretaries General of GA and Conference Management and the Department of Public Information? Inner City Pressobtained and put that Syrian letter online, and also sent it to Ban's spokespeople seeking comment. There has been no response.
And so we have to note: while Agence France Presse wrote a breathless story about the meeting, bragging that it is sure to make Syria's government angry, AFP did not disclose that its UN report Tim Witcher is on the Executive Committee ofUNCA, a group which used its DPI-given room to hold afaux "UN briefing" for Jarba in July. This should have been disclosed.
Another UNCA Executive Committee member bragged, without disclosure, that "Secgen meeting with Pres of the National Coalition #Syria opposition forces Ahmad al-Jarba."
Inner City Press and the new Free UN Coalition for Access@FUNCA_info have repeatedly asked why the UN through DPI gives UNCA a room for faux UN briefing, and why Ban and his spokesperson give the first question to UNCA's 2013 president Pamela Falk, who sent out three invites for Jarba. Ban's Office, and then DPI, said "ask UNCA." This is a scam. Watch this site.
