By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC-Guardian UK - Honduras - NY Mag Song
UN GATE / SDNY, July 23 – As he slowly kills the UN, Antonio Guterres has misplayed Ukraine at every stage.
He assured that there would be no invasion, then through Melissa Fleming's Department of Global Communications ordered UN officials to not call it an invasion or a war.
After behind chided, below, he tried to get back in the game through food.
From an undeserved vacation, he flew to Istanbul and bloviated that "the initiative we just signed opens a path for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny."
Through deputy spokesman Farhan Haq - lead and longtime spokesman Stephane Dujarric was also on vacation - he refused to make his deal with Russia public.
Now on July 23, this: "The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns reported strikes today in the Ukrainian port of Odesa. Yesterday, all parties made clear commitments on the global stage to ensure the safe movement of Ukrainian grain and related products to global markets."
Not so clear. Once again, predictably and some would say intentionally, Guterres got played. Because he's spend six years (so far) calling Putin papacito. Week 21 song here; Week 22 song (on Odesa) here.
Later on July 23, US Antony Blinken said "The United States strongly condemns the Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian port of Odesa today. Just 24 hours after finalizing a deal to allow the resumption of Ukrainian agricultural exports through the Black Sea, Russia breached its commitments by attacking the historic port from which grain and agricultural exports would again be transported under this arrangement. The Kremlin continues to show disregard for the safety and security of millions of civilians as it perpetuates its assault on Ukraine. Russia is starving Ukraine of its economic vitality and the world of its food supply through the effective blockade of the Black Sea. This attack casts serious doubt on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to yesterday’s deal and undermines the work of the UN, Turkey, and Ukraine to get critical food to world markets. Russia bears responsibility for deepening the global food crisis and must stop its aggression and fully implement the deal to which it has agreed." But the US has yet to call out Guterres for covering up for Russia, and banning US-based Press.
Previously: at the United Nations under Antonio Guterres fails on Ukriane, belatedly some former UN officials wrote to Guterres, (too) gently chiding him for presiding over the UN's morphing into the a League of Nations, useless and now defunct.
On April 15 they wrote: "As former staff members of the UN system, we, the undersigned... implore you to intensify your personal efforts, deploying all capabilities at your disposal and acting upon lessons learnt from previous conflicts, for the cessation of hostilities."
Inner City Press, banned from the UN by Guterres, has reviewed the signatories, see one below and Dimitry Dovgopoly we've asked about. UN associate Spokesperson Eri Kaneko, refusing to answer, on April 22 announced: "The Secretary-General will visit Moscow, in the Russian Federation, on April [26th]. He will have a working meeting and lunch with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Secretary-General will be received by President Vladimir Putin."
Kaneko actually said April 25, but they later fixed it. But the Russian government says only that Guterres will meet Lavrov. As Inner City Press noted, maybe only if Guterres is obsequious with Lavrov as usual will he get face time with Putin, his papacito.
Hours later, the UN put this out, trying to mirror the "received by" language but not explaining why Russia doensn't mention Putin - nor that he is being used to normalize the slaughter. Guterres is the worst SG ever - and that's saying something.
On April 26 cowering under Sergey Lavrov when asked of US expulsion of Russian spies including a UN staff member, Guterres said, "we believe that it is very important that all Member States, including the Russian Federation, have a normal treatment of their visa requirements. It is essential to have the full participation of all countries in UN procedures. And we will be keeping a very strong position with the host country in order to guarantee that we move swiftly in that direction." Guterres lazed around on genocide but expulsion of spies? He's all over it. Then he met Putin, long table video here.
On April 28 the UN put out this transcript from Kyev, intentionally making a question Guterres didn't like "inaudible," then his dissing of the question(er) -- "Question: [inaudible] Secretary-General: That's exactly what you want, is for me to say things that would not facilitate the work that we are doing at the present moment, which is to guarantee that that happens. I cannot admit that it will not happen. If it will not happen, I will take the right decisions at the right moment." Guterres only makes decisions for himself, and has banned the Press to not answer it questions, today on two new UN rapes.
Back on April 24 Igor Zhovkva, Zelensky's top diplomatic advisor said, "This is not good idea to travel to Moscow. We did not understand his intention to travel to Moscow and to talk to President Putin. Any peace talks are good if they end with a result," Zhovkva said. "I really doubt if those peace talks organized by Secretary-General of the UN will end up with any result." He added, "UN is lagging behind in Ukraine in terms of humanitarian support to my country. So it would be good if UN Secretary-General would concentrate on these things as well."
US Antony Blinken, leaving Kyiv, was asked: "Secretary Blinken, I understand you may have spoken with the UN secretary-general about his upcoming visit. What is the strategy for engaging – for his engagement or for (inaudible) engagement with Moscow and Kyiv to see if (inaudible)?"
Blinken said: "I spoke to the UN secretary-general on Friday and he is heading to Moscow early this week, and our expectation is that he’s going to carry a very strong and clear message to Vladimir Putin, which is the need to end this war now – the need for a ceasefire; the need for humanitarian corridors, for aid to get in, for people to be able to get out; the need for Russia to stop its brutalization of Ukraine. It’s a clear, direct message that he should be carrying on behalf of virtually the entire international community."
First, the UN never have a read out of, or even mentioned, this call. Today's UN spokespeople, who ban Inner City Press which asks, are liars.
Second, If Blinken really believes Guterres will "carry a strong message," he is not paying attention. And his State Department, whose Lauren Rapp was to convey the request of law firm Quinn Emanuel about UN censorship of Press but has done nothing, takes over the UNSC in May. We will have much more on this.
Watch this site.
As to the letter that belatedly raised Guterres from his corrupt slumber, into corrupt "action," here's a signer: Flavia Pansieri, implicated in the UN's cover up of the rape of children in the Central African Republic by (French) UN Peacekeepers. Inner City Press asked about this - before Guterres had it roughed and banned. And what of the signatories done about that? We'll have more on this.
Guterres couldn't or wouldn't resolve or reduce even a smaller conflict like Cameroon's Paul Biya killing the Anglophones. But who are these former UN officials? We'll have more on this.
They wrote, "we are horrified at the alternative, the UN becoming increasingly irrelevant and, eventually, succumbing to the fate of its predecessor, the League of Nations."
Today's UN is worse that the League of Nations, which never had personnel raping children in Africa and Haiti and then flying home with impunity, while the head man and his censor (here, Melissa Fleming) ban the Press that asks what is being done for the Organization's victims. Banned Inner City Press will have more on this, as well.
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