By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 27 -- On Syria, the UN says that it and only it will announce when the promised Geneva Two talks will be and, it seemed, who will be invited.
Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, as translated by the UN, has said that while he, the Secretaries General of the UN and Arab League want Iran to be invited, they "look forward to see such invitation extended to the Iranians." Isn't Ban Ki-moon the one "extending" the invitations? Or is it really up to the US and Russia?
Saturday after Brahimi gave a press conference in Tehran,Reuters reported that Press TV translated that Brahimi said Iran should be invited. (This went into the Chicago Tribune, which previously ran and did not correct Reuters erroneous claim that Brahimi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner.)
Inner City Press asked, why wouldn't Reuters be able to translate Brahimi itself? (We know they are distracted.) And Inner City Press asked why wouldn't the UN, many hours later, release a transcript of its envoy's remarks?
When Kofi Annan was the UN's envoy, he had a spokesperson always will him, e-mailing out what he said. Why is it not the same with Brahimi? To allow deniability?
On Sunday morning, Inner City Press along with a Congolese conflict question that has yet to be answered asked for a UN transcript of what Brahimi said. And late Sunday afternoon this came in:
On Sunday morning, Inner City Press along with a Congolese conflict question that has yet to be answered asked for a UN transcript of what Brahimi said. And late Sunday afternoon this came in:
Subject: re: on Brahimi
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Sun, Oct 27, 2013 at 4:10 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Sun, Oct 27, 2013 at 4:10 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
Regarding your request, see below the English translation of what the Joint Special Representative Brahimi said at a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister in Tehran on 26 October. Mr. Brahimi spoke in Arabic.
Q: Can you brief us on the results of your tour up until now and will Iran be invited to the conference?
Brahimi: The P5s met at the sides of the General Assembly with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and agreed to work with others including those countries of the region to speed up the preparations for the convening of Geneva Conference. They asked me to tour the few countries of the region to listen to their views, and this is the most important, and then to talk to them about the best ways to convene this conference. The UN Secretary-General and the League of Arab States Secretary-General and myself see that the participation of Iran at the Geneva Conference is natural, important and useful and we look forward to see such invitation extended to the Iranians.
Beyond the issue of inviting Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Hamlet of the UN Security Council, to Geneva Two, it has been suggested the "Erbil should also attend."
As Inner City Press noted Saturday, from Turkey Saudi-supported Jarba's Syria National Council denounced:
The Iraqi government continues to interfere with Syria’s internal affairs. Today, Saturday, October 26, Iraqi soldiers provoked a clash with Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigades stationed at al-Yarubiya border crossing with Iraq.
Iraqi army forces also shelled the al-Yarubiya post, early Saturday, in cooperation with militias of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). These units are the armed wing of PYD (an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK). PYD Militiamen launched a ground offensive on the city of a-Yarubiya and the border crossing of al-Yarubiya and clashed with FSA brigades there, in an attempt to control the Syrian side of the crossing. Iraqi soldiers stationed at the borders assisted PYD militiamen.
The Iraqi government's attack on FSA forces in Yarubiya is a considerable mistake and a blatant and unprecedented interference in Syrian affairs.
It's priceless, a Saudi-sponsored individual speaking from Turkey, denouncing "interference in Syrian affairs." But also, it's widely reported that the forces defeated by the Kurds at Yarubiya were al Qaeda -- just what Jarba's SNC and the FSA claim NOT to be or work with. Telling.
At the UN, not only did France host a dubious event declaring Jarba the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people, and Ban Ki-moon meeting Jarba at his UN-provided residence -- Ban's UN Correspondents Association hosted a faux "UN briefing" with Jarba, on which the UN would not answer questions. If Jarba from Turkey supports al Qaeda, and the UN and UNCA support Jarba, who's supporting whom? Watch this site.
