By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 20 -- There are now two draft resolutions pending in the UN Security Council about the downing more than a year ago of Flight MH17. On the first, some had said there would be a July 21 vote (Inner City Press never believed or reported that.)
Then it a July 27 vote date was reported, with Dutch NRC saying the reason for delay was unclear, ignoring the read-out of a phone call of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte. On July 20 Inner City Press asked the UN Security Council president for July, New Zealand's Gerard von Bohemen if there will be a July 27 vote. It is not "set in stone," he replied. Before that, von Bohemen said:
"We had consultations as you know, this afternoon on the issue of MH17 and what should be done by way of follow up to Resolution 2166 and the proposal by Joint Investigation Team of countries who want an international tribunal.
"I think it was a very positive discussion. There was strong support in the room for the establishment of a tribunal. Russia, of course, has a different perspective on this and explained its resolution and there were a number of countries that urged the two key proponents to come together and try to find a united way forward.
"Attention was drawn to the fact that the Council achieved great unity this morning for the Iran resolution and that same spirit, I think we should try to capture in this exercise.
"Having said that, I noted, and so did the Russian Federation, that the issue of the tribunal is the key deciding point. And that’s the one that we are going to grapple with."
"I think it was a very positive discussion. There was strong support in the room for the establishment of a tribunal. Russia, of course, has a different perspective on this and explained its resolution and there were a number of countries that urged the two key proponents to come together and try to find a united way forward.
"Attention was drawn to the fact that the Council achieved great unity this morning for the Iran resolution and that same spirit, I think we should try to capture in this exercise.
"Having said that, I noted, and so did the Russian Federation, that the issue of the tribunal is the key deciding point. And that’s the one that we are going to grapple with."
Back on July 21, 2014, after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to an independent international investigation of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine, Inner City Press asked Malaysia's then Permanent Representative to the UNHussein Haniff if there was, in fact, an agreement with the separatist rebels for Malaysia to get the black boxes. Video here.
Ambassador Hussein Haniff said yes, “there is this understanding that the black box will be handed over to Malaysia.” He said, “We have our people ready, we hope this agreement will be honored.”
Inner City Press asked when the hand-over is supposed to take place.
“Like around now,” Ambassador Hussein Haniff replied. It was just past 5 pm in New York on July 21.
Earlier on July 21 at the US State Department's press briefing in Washington, Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf was asked if Malaysia was breaking ranks with other countries by making its own deal with the rebels, and if an agreement with Malaysia about the black boxes and flight recorders would give the separatist rebels leadership any legitimacy.
No, Harf insisted. Watch this site.
