By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
UN GATE / SDNY, May 26 - The United Nations, its often unaccountable senior leadership like Fabrizio Hochschild and always sychophantic press corps all seem pleased by the prospect of increased funding from Foggy Bottom and ultimately the American people. But will the UN administration belatedly live up to principles like those of the First Amendment, for example content neutral press access?
So far, no.
On May 26, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield took a total of two questions after her trip to Ecuador. In advance, Inner City Press in writing submitted:
"two questions, for Inner City Press, one on Ecuador and one on Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield's meeting and read out with Haiti's Jovenal Moises:
1) Ecuador says it will be looking to soften conditions in its current International Monetary Fund program. Given the US' central role in the IMF, will it be supporting that requested softening of conditions, and separately does the Ambassador have any comment on the request or IMF conditions?
2) On Haiti, given the Ambassador's read-out, what is the Administration's position on the "Decree on the Strengthening of Public Security," including new crimes characterized as terrorism and the new, unilaterally declared ANI / National Intelligence Agency? Are these legitimate, done by decree after the cancellation of the 2019 legislative elections? Separately, what does the Ambassador think is / should be the UN's role in Haiti at this time?"
After Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield left the call after two years, Juan González, Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere National Security Council, said the US is a big trading partner of China's and is not against China's advances in Latin America. Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State, emphasized this was Thomas-Greenfield's first trip outside the US as Ambassador to the UN. We'll stay on this- all of this.
On February 25 Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield held a stake-out by the UN Security Council. Inner City Press has questioned US Ambassadors from Zalmay Khalilzad through Susan Rice and Samantha Power to Nikki Haley. But now, due to critical coverage of and questions to Antonio Guterres, it is banned.
So, an investigative US-based media is blocked from questioning a US official. Can this be legal? And what about the President of the General Assembly, and the President of the UN Security Council - for now the UK, not yet the US which will face this - not even confirming receipt of, much less circulating, the letters and C.V.s of opponent of Guterres? We'll have more on this.
On the other hand, on April 22 the US Mission - whose Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis now personally knows of the ban of Inner City Press from the UN - sent out this UNSC work product: "The members of the Security Council noted with concern the humanitarian situation in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia. The members of the Security Council acknowledged the efforts by the Government of Ethiopia to provide humanitarian assistance and to provide increased humanitarian access. The members of the Security Council recognized, nevertheless, that, humanitarian challenges remain. They called for a scaled up humanitarian response and unfettered humanitarian access to all people in need, including in the context of the food security situation. The members of the Security Council called for a continuation of international relief efforts in a manner consistent with the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance, including humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The members of the Security Council noted that insecurity in Tigray constitutes an impediment to the ongoing humanitarian operations and called for a restoration of normalcy. The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern about allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including reports of sexual violence against women and girls in the Tigray region and called for investigations to find those responsible and bring them to justice. They welcomed the joint investigation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission into alleged human rights violations and abuses. The members of the Security Council also welcomed the engagement on this issue of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. The members of the Security Council stressed the need for full compliance with international law. The members of the Security Council reiterated their strong support to regional and sub-regional efforts and organizations, namely the African Union and IGAD, and underscored the importance of their continued engagement. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Ethiopia."
Here for now is some the Mission's read-out of Day 6 - "Previously: " The below is attributable to United States Mission Spokesperson Olivia Dalton: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield participated in a series of bilateral meetings today with UN Security Council counterparts. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has now held meetings with all 14 of the Permanent Representatives to the UN on the Security Council in advance of the U.S. assuming the Security Council presidency in March. In meetings with the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations from Estonia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Niger, Tunisia, and Vietnam, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield discussed the upcoming U.S. presidency of the UN Security Council and conveyed the Biden administration's commitment to renewed engagement with the international community. In her discussions, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield raised issues of mutual interest and concern, including U.S. policy on regional issues, opportunities for future cooperation at the UN, shared priorities in the UN Security Council, and the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia." And what about, for example, the ongoing mass killing by the government of Cameroon?
Watch this site.
No discussion of ensuring that Guterres doesn't just strong arm a second term in a way that makes a mockery of the pronouncement on democracy by the UN - & P3?
Revisit the canned Q&A in the UN noon briefing of November 23, which again banned Inner City Press - and its questions about UN corruption and sexual abuse, Cameroon, Honduras and other UN failures, here.
Inner City Press before corrupt UNSG Antonio Guterres had it thrown out without due process or appeal covered not only the UN and its "Peacekeeping" missions in Haiti and elsewhere, but also Antony Blinken (here, meeting Prince Zeid) and Linda Thomas-Greenfield (here, after a trip to Somalia; Inner City Press covered the UN Security Council trip to Djibouti).
On February 25, the IMF took Inner City Press' questions on Sudan and Cambodia via WebEx, here. Inner City Press also spoke for half an hour on Honduras UNeTV, including about the Biden Administration, Secretary Antony Blinken and Honduras, and SDNY: here.
The UN banned Inner City Press, including from the stakeout by the US Ambassador. Again, can this be legal? Is it sustainable? Is it credible? Watch this site.
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