Inner City Press

UN tells ICP that Ban Ki-moon Is OT Blocking Alleged War Criminal Silva As His Adviser on Peacekeeping

2012-01-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- Alleged war criminal Shavendra Silva will in fact serve on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operation, as Ban disclaims any responsibility and will do nothing to stop it, Ban spokesperson informed Inner City Press on January 28.

Acts of Shavendra Silva's battalion in 2009 are described in the UN's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka, and lawsuits have been filed against Silva for war crimes.

On January 27, Inner City Press asked and wrote that in other circumstances, such as Syria's bid to be its regional group's representative on the UN Human Rights Council, efforts have been made at the UN including by the Secretariat to avoid or reverse nominations like this one which would be an embarrassment and make a mockery of the UN's stated principles.

After Inner City Press asked at the UN noon briefing on January 27 if Ban would say or do anything, spokesman Martin Nesirky said "Matthew, don't press your luck" and that he "might have something a little later."

When nothing came by close of business that day, Inner City Press put the question directly to UN Peacekeeping, including chief Herve Ladsous of France and Susana Malcorra, reportedly slated to be promote by Ban to his Deputy Secretary General,

So far neither UN Peacekeeping official has responded with any comment on how appointing an alleged war criminal to the Senior Adviser Group would impact the credibility of DPKO or DFS.

Back on October 24, Malcorra told the General Assembly's committee on peacekeeping that Ban

"had taken steps to fulfil his mandate to create a Senior Advisory Group comprising five eminent persons of relevant experience; five representatives from major troop countries; five representatives from major financial contributors; and one member from each regional group... If the Group was to be appointed, it would be important for Member States to complete their responses to the Secretary-General’s request for nominations."

Malcorra asked member states to send Ban "nominations," which to some implies that Ban did not have to accept any and all names submitted, for example that of an alleged war criminal. Would Ban similar put on his Senior Advisory Group the chief of Sudan's military, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court?

In fact, Ban's and Ladsous' envoy to Darfur Ibrahim Gambari recently greeted ICC indictee Omar al Bashir at a wedding reception in Sudan. When Inner City Press asked Nesirky if this complied with Ban's UN policy, the belated response was that Gambari greeted the ICC indictee based on "African traditions."

This is Ban's UN.

On January 28, a Saturday, 24 hours after Inner City Press posed the question, the following was received:

Subject: Your question
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 12:43 PM
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The General Assembly instructed the Secretary-General to establish the senior advisory group, stipulating that its membership should comprise five representatives nominated by the troop-contributing countries, five representatives nominated by the financial contributors, and one representative named by each of the five regional groups. The General Assembly specified that five eminent persons of relevant experience should be independently appointed by the Secretary-General himself. The Secretary-General's responsibility under GA resolution 65/289 related only to the nomination of the five eminent persons that he was asked to selected himself; the 15 other members of the SAG were selected by the TCCs, FCCs and Regional Groups, as prescribed by the General Assembly.

The response seeks to absolve all responsibility, including for the UN's credibility, from Ban Ki-moon, who already stood smiling as Tamil children at gunpoint sung his name in the internment camps in Northern Sri Lanka in May 2009, and since then yelled at his own staff in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Ban shakes with Silva as Kohona looks on, Feb 23 2011 (c) MRLee

In other cases, Ban has tried to exercise leadership with member states, including to impact his UN's credibility. But not here, it seems; while his two top peacekeeping officials remain silent.

An alleged war criminal appointed without any push back by Ban Ki-moon to Ban's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations: this is Ban's UN. Watch this site.

From the UN's transcript of its January 27 noon briefing:

Question: The Sri Lankan Government is, I call it bragging, is announcing that Shavendra Silva, their deputy PR whose battalion is listed in the Panel of Experts report about crimes in Sri Lanka, has been, quote, “selected” to be on this Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations. I wanted to know, one, if that is true of the status, if it has actually been confirmed? And two, if the Secretary-General has any ability to block or speak about such a selection, given that some people say to put a person accused of war crimes on an advisory group about peacekeeping would send the wrong messages?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, as I understand it, Major General Shavendra Silva was selected by the Group of Asian States as their representative. He was not selected by the Secretary-General. As to your other question, I may have something further on that a little later.

Inner City Press: You would, I am sure, know this, there was a big fight here for example of keeping Syria off the Human Rights Council and there was, it was initially a nominee of a regional group, I mean there seems to be some ability certainly of Member States, but I believe at times the Secretary-General to…

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Matthew…

Inner City Press: …not accept…

Spokesperson: Matthew, sometimes it seems you don’t listen to what I am saying. I just said I may have something further for you later, okay?

Inner City Press: I know, I did hear you say that, I just want to make sure. I am writing about it today, so ... is it going to be before 5 p.m., what you have say? That’s why I am asking a follow-up

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Don’t push your luck, Matthew.

Was that a threat? "Rajapaksa style," as one wag afterward put it? We'll see.

Arab League Report Blames Opposition for French Reporter's Death, Decries Media Hype

2012-01-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- Outside the UN Security Council Friday afternoon, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari repeatedly told the press to find and read the Arab League monitors' report, which was supposed to have been annexed to the League's letter to the Council but was not. (Click here for Inner City Press' first coverage of this "Annex amateur hour".)

Attached for any reader who might not otherwise have access to it is the "Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria for the period from 24 December 2011 to 18 January 2012," as Inner City Press obtained it.

As Ja'afari said, in the main example he gave, this Report says in Paragraph 44 that "Mission reports from Homs indicate French journalist was killed by opposition mortar shells."

Of that, Ja'afari pointedly said, "you'll never hear the French Ambassador [Gerard Araud] or BanKiMoon say that."

The Report, signed by Sudanese General Al Dabi who was active in Darfur, the locus of International Criminal Court indicted war crimes, also says at Paragraph 29 that "the media exaggerated... the number of persons killed." Is Dabi or the Arab League also saying that of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, and UNICEF?

On the other hand Al Dabi's report recites for example down in Paragraph 74 that "The Mission was informed by the opposition, particularly in Dar‘a, Homs, Hama and Idlib, that some of its members had taken up arms in response to the suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the regime’s oppression and tyranny; corruption, which affects all sectors of society; the use of torture by the security agencies; and human rights violations."

Ja'afari's argument on Friday was that the Arab League is split, but Qatar and some others came to the UN before or without regard for the Arab League Report.

Tuesday, the Security Council will hear from the Qatari minister and the Secretary General of the Arab League -- and not from Al Dabi. Still, will this split be brought up?

We will have more about the Report, but for now we are putting it online, here.

In the list of media reportedly granted accreditation to enter Syria (but not yet entering) are two reporters "from the agency Roberts." Oh, Dabi!

As France Slips or Spins on "Temporary" Step Down by Assad, Russia Says No, Syria Blames Qatar, US Bases

2012-01-28T16:14:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- After a new draft resolution "tracking the Arab League" was introduced Friday in the UN Security Council, a Monday meeting at the experts level was scheduled.

The Council's president for January, Baso Sangqu of South Africa, told Inner City Press that these "expert consultations" will concern both Russia's draft from December and the one introduced on Friday.

Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, who said the Russian draft "has been overtaken," but said that portions of Russia's draft were in the new one. Told their draft was "overtaken," two Russian diplomats on the margins of the stakeout laughed.

More formally, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said that Russia will not accept any resolution calling for regime change in Syria. French Ambassador Gerard Araud told the press on Friday that only a "temporary" step down by Bashar al Assad is being asked for.

Pressed, he said to go and read the underlying Arab League documents, maybe he misread them, being tired.

South Africa's Sangqu told Inner City Press, the Security Council didn't agree to follow the African Union position on Libya -- so, by implication, there's no pressure or precedent to strictly follow the Arab League on Syria.

Inner City Press asked Araud and German Ambassador Peter Wittig to respond to this critique. Both said that each case is separate. From the German Mission's transcript:

Inner City Press: [Does Germany agree] with French Ambassador Araud that what this draft is calling for is just a temporary step down by Assad and what do you make of South Africa’s argument – you were just saying that we have to follow what the Arab League said – they said that the Council did not follow what the African Union said on Libya and that is one of the reasons they don’t accept [inaudible]"

Wittig: "Every case is specific. Now we are dealing with Syria. We are dealing with the plan of the Arab League. We want to be reflecting what the Arab League wants. As I said, we want to support it; we don’t want to put ourselves in the driver’s seat, that is the role of the Arab League. So we want to reflect as meticulously as possible on the decisions of the Arab League."

Of course, the Security Council did not find that it was in the African Union's role to be "in the driver's seat" on Libya. Araud in his answer appeared to have forgotten that a draft Presidential Statement supporting the African Union plan on Libya was opposed and never adopted.

After Araud left, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the French journalists in Homs was killed by "the armed groups," citing the Arab League monitoring report, but said "you won't hear that from the French ambassador."

Earlier before the Council meeting broke up, Inner City Press asked around about support for the Arab League's proposals. One well placed diplomat told Inner City Press, "Of course the Arab League is split. Algeria doesn't support it, nor Iraq or of course Sudan."

Inner City Press pointed out that Sudan did support the ouster of Gaddafi from Libya, although only because he supported Darfur's rebels, particularly the Justice and Equality Movement.

The diplomat went on, "Egypt doesn't support. But if Tunisia joins, it would be hard for Egypt not to, given 'The Street.' Really what these Arab states want is for Russia to engage. Russia's been told by the opposition they could still play a post-Assad role, it's not too late."

Another opined that with Putin's (re) election coming up, backing down is unlikely. Russia's Churkin has several times contrasted the push on Syria with the US' approach to Bahrain: telling the opposition they cannot use force.

The first diplomat replied, "they could have done that in April, there were press elements out there to send that message, but the BRICS blocked it all." But did the Western powers show flexibility, as they did, shamefully to some, in essence embracing impunity for Yemen's Ali Saleh?

"Saleh was smart," a political coordinator opined. "He said yes, they played for time. And now he's at a luxury hospital in New York." If so, which one? Or as another source tells Inner City Press, could Saleh be heading to Morocco, like Dadis Camera did? Watch this site.

Footnote: as the last stakeout of the day, Syrian Ambassador Ja'afari took to the microphone to say, We will not be Libya or Iraq, we will not be Somalia, we will not be a failed state. He described Qatar jumping the gun on the Arab League monitoring report, and regime change "by January 22" having been predicted on "Doha-based Al Jazeera."

Inner City Press asked him to say more about Qatar, given similar comments previously by Libyan diplomat Shalgam. Ja'afari didn't shy away, saying that Qatar is "tiny... half occupied by American military bases" and uses "petrodollars" to increase its influence. One wag whispered: it's natural gas.

Of his statement that the Arab League report blames the "armed groups" for the killing of the French journalist in Homs, Ja'afari said "you won't hear that" not only from French Ambassador Araud but also not from "Ban Ki-moon," the UN Secretary General on Friday in Davos.

One wanted to ask Ja'afari for his view of Ban Ki-moon accepting free private jet travel from Qatar, but then again, to mix a UN reform and transparency issue with such a stakeout might not be the right way to proceed.

Inner City Press asked Ja'afari if he will speak at the Security Council's Tuesday afternoon meeting with Qatar's minister called HBJ and the Arab League's El-Arabi. "Yes I will speak," Ja'afari said. Watch this site.

UN Spins Gambari Greeting ICC Indictee Bashir at Reception As "African Tradition"

2012-01-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- After publishing photographs of UN - African Union envoy to Darfur Ibrahim Gambari with Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes, Inner City Press three times this week asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman to state UN policy for dealing with ICC indictees, and if Gambari's actions complied with UN policy.

The UN has said it only deals with ICC indictees when "necessary," for example when Inner City Press asked the UN about having twice provided air transportation to Ahmed Harun, also indicted by the ICC for war crimes.

But was attending a reception for the wedding of the daughter of Darfur janjaweed militia leader Musa Hilal and Idriss Deby "necessary"?

After twice saying he hadn't seen the photos, on January 26 Nesirky said that "the ICC is an independent judicial institution. And it needs to be able to carry out its work in an independent fashion. And so I don’t think that it is appropriate to comment further on cases that are being looked at and in the judicial process already."

Inner City Press asked, "can you see why the Gambari photo creates some confusion? Attending a wedding ceremony is hard to describe as a humanitarian gesture."

Later, Nesirky's office sent Inner City Press the following:

Subject: Your question on JSR Gambari
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 1:02 PM
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The Departement for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) advises the following: JSR Gambari attended the wedding at the invitation of President Deby of Chad, who is an important regional partner in the peace process. JSR Gambari had no control over the guest list and it is contrary to basic diplomatic courtesy and African traditions to ignore greeting other invited guests.

So apparently the UN system's policy on engagement with individuals indicted by the ICC for genocide has a "wedding reception" or even "African traditions" exception.

Gambari greets Bashir, UN policy on ICC not shown: non-existent?

It's worth noting, as the Sudanese Mission to the UN confirmed to Inner City Press apparently proudly, that Idriss Deby wasn't even AT the reception. But Gambari went anyway, and greeted Bashir.

The UN's policy on dealing with ICC indicted individuals is in the purview of Ban's head of Legal Affairs Patricia O'Brien, who has repeatedly refused to answer press questions. This is Ban's UN - watch this site.

As Ban's Spokesman Claims Cocaine Was "Not Intended" for UN, It Was Delivered; Past UN Mail Room Arrest

2012-01-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- After Inner City Press yesterday morning exclusively published, and at noon asked, about 14 kilograms of cocaine brought into the UN's mail room, 24 hours later Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky argued that the bags were "never intended for the UN."

UN Security sources tell Inner City Press there is no way to know that. The courier, DHL, obviously has a policy or practice of bringing items with the UN logo on them into the UN, as happened here.

Why, these sources asked Inner City Press which in turn today asked Nesirky, were the bags spirited out of the UN before there was any chance to see who might come to try to collect them?

Nesirky argued that the Thursday evening press encounter by Gregory Starr of the UN Department of Safety and Security had answered all questions. Inner City Press asked Nesirky on Friday to confirm that under Starr, DSS disbanded its Special Investigations Unit.

When Inner City Press broke this story, it asked "what is ID/OIOS" -- the Investigations division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, from which Ban Ki-moon removed his critic Inga Britt Ahlenius - "doing about drug trafficking in the UN?"

The OIOS investigative division ostensibly took over for the DSS Special Investigations Unit which Starr disbanded. Security source tell Inner City Press about a "covered up" probe by this DSS unit of drug trafficking using UN bags in Haiti, where the UN has a peacekeeping mission.

Inner City Press on Friday also asked Nesirky to confirm previous arrest(s) of UN personnel specifically in the UN mail room for being involved in drug smuggling. Nesirky said he would check. Video here, from Minute 8:46.

Well, here's one, from a publicly available indictment in US Federal court: 29-year UN employee Osman Osman was charged in 2006 with facilitating the import of 25 tons of illegal drugs using his position in the UN mail room.

Gregg Starr shows UN bags: DSS Special Investigations Unit not shown (c) MRLee

Given this history, current UN Security sources and now Inner City Press ask, why were the bags spirited out of the UN before there was any chance to see who might come to try to collect them? Who might have been protected? Watch this site.

Sri Lankan Alleged War Criminal Silva "Selected" as Ban Adviser on Peacekeeping?

2012-01-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- In an example of UN "bluewashing" of an alleged war criminal, Sri Lanka is bragging that its Major General Shavendra Silva has been selected for the "UN Secretary General's special Advisory group on Peace Keeping Operations," along with former Deputy Secretary General Louise Frechette and former head of UN Peacekeeping Jean Marie Guehenno.

Acts of Shavendra Silva's battalion in 2009 are described in the UN's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka, and lawsuits have been filed against Silva for war crimes.

So how can he be put on a UN "special advisory group on Peacekeeping Operations"?

Ban's Under Secretary General for Field Support Susana Malcorra, who Inner City Press has reported stands to replace Asha-Rose Migiro as Ban's Deputy Secretary General, on October 24 told the UN General Assembly's committee covering peacekeeping that Ban would

"create a Senior Advisory Group comprising five eminent persons of relevant experience; five representatives from major troop countries; five representatives from major financial contributors; and one member from each regional group."

It appears that that Sri Lanka, in order to bluewash Silva, slipped him in as representative of the Asia Pacific group.

In other circumstances, such as Syria's bid to be its regional group's representative on the UN Human Rights Council, efforts have been made at the UN including by the Secretariat to avoid or reverse nominations like this one which would be an embarrassment and make a mockery of the UN's stated principles.

Ban shakes with Silva as Kohona looks on, Feb 23 2011 (c) MRLee

But will Ban do that here, or put an alleged war criminal on his Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations? Watch this site.

UN Starr Spins Media, After ICP Exclusive, Of DEA & Mexican Police: UN Recipient?

2012-01-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- After Inner City Press this morning exclusively published, and at noon asked, about cocaine found inside the UN, six hours later the UN produced for a dozen reporters Security chief Gregory Starr, with photographs of two "UN" bags he said the "controlled substance" arrived in.

Starr confirmed the incident occurred on January 16. Inner City Press' law enforcement sources say the NY Police Department and Drug Enforcement Agency arrived at the UN that day at 12:30 in the afternoon.

Inner City Press asked Starr why the UN had not disclosed the find of 14 kilos of cocaine ten days ago, until its exclusive story and question. Starr insisted it is a US law enforcement matter, and later implied the UN would never have made it public absent Inner City Press' exclusive expose.

The hole in Starr's and the UN's spin is to say that 14 kilos of cocaine showing up inside the UN, in bags marked "UN," is "not a UN matter." Several security sources asked Inner City Press why a pick-up of the bags had not been awaited.

"If a bag marked 'UN' is automatically brought by DHL inside the UN, sure the person intending to go pick up the 'lost' package could be in the UN," one source told Inner City Press. "But now the way they've done it, we'll never know. Someone may be breathing easy."

While Starr said the packages originated in Central or South America, he never refused to rule out Mexico, which is in neither. But US law enforcement tells the Press that the Mexican Federal Police are now involved. "We want to know who gave the package to DHL, they'd have to a so-called 'Reliable Shipper,'" as one source put it.

Local law enforcement was critical of errors in derivative reports, which misquoted the estimate street value as $2 million instead of $440,000, and alleged "cartel" involvement without any proof.

Starr showed the convened media photos of the bags, while his colleague David Bongi, about whom Inner City Press has previously reported, held up actual Diplomatic Mail bags, which Starr then implied should not be photographed or published.

But the immediate turn over -- Starr said to NYPD, but other sources say the DEA took possession -- had the effect of making it impossible to know if a person with access to the UN mail room was going to try to pick up the bags. "So someone's being protected," as a source put it.

Inner City Press asked Starr if, for example, all entries into the UN connected to general contractor Skanska and the UN's Capital Master Plan rehabilitation are screened. Starr claimed they are, but even other UN Security sources say different.

Absent this morning's story, Inner City Press asked Starr, would you ever have made this public? The answer was not yes. Watch this site.

Inner City Press also asked Starr if there is any update on his commitment to ensure an investigation of the murder of UN Security officer Louis Maxwell by Afghan National forces in Kabul. "No," Starr said. For shame.

From the UN's January 26 transcript of its noon briefing, at which Inner City Press asked about the drugs after already publishing its first story:

Inner City Press: I have heard now from multiple sources within Security and elsewhere that a suspicious package containing cocaine was found in the UN scanner recently and was… the host country was called. They are saying that it was up to 40 pounds of cocaine, and people have asked me within Security, why wasn’t the FBI called? Why wasn’t the package actually picked up so they could find out who was getting it? I’d like to know if either now or as soon as possible today, can you, will you confirm this find of cocaine in the scanner and why were… why was only the NYPD apparently called and what’s OIOS doing about the possibility of drug trafficking inside the United Nations?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, first of all, I will need to come back to you with some more details. But the most important thing here is that this was not connected to the United Nations, and that’s why the host Government, the city authorities in the shape of the NYPD were brought in to assist and they have taken over. Once I have a few more details, I will let you know.

Inner City Press: But just, and thanks again, I appreciate that, it just… I am just wondering because it is said that it was found inside the UN in a diplomatic pouch by the UN scanners, so how is the UN not…?

Spokesperson: Because it was not a diplomatic pouch. That I can say categorically, it was not a diplomatic pouch.

Inner City Press: But how did it get into the UN?

Spokesperson: Matthew, I said I am going to get, give you more details, and you can play 20 questions with me now or you can let me get some details for you later. Okay?

[The Spokesperson later issued the following note to correspondents:

Last week, two suspicious mail bags were intercepted by the Security and Safety Service at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Neither the United Nations nor anyone located in the United Nations was the intended recipient of this delivery and the bags were not UN bags, diplomatic or other.

The relevant host country authorities — the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) — were notified about the discovery of the suspicious bags and the material handed over to their custody. The United States Mission to the United Nations was also kept informed.

As the host country authorities are investigating, we would refer you to the DEA or NYPD for any further details.]

Inner City Press: No, I mean, exactly, just what, a detailed explanation of how it came in and who, to whom it was addressed, things like that.

Spokesperson: Yeah.

After Attack on FPI Supporters, UN's Koenders Speaks of Investigation: Video

2012-01-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- After the UN's new envoy to Cote d'Ivoire Bert Koenders briefed the Security Council on Thursday, Inner City Press asked that he come to the UN Television stakeout to answer several questions. The response to this was negative, so Inner City Press asked that he at least answer a few questions outside the Council, in an area that could be filmed.

Ultimately Koenders only stood directly in front of the Council; Inner City Press asked him about his Mission's actions when a rally of supporters of former president Laurent Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) was attacked with rocks. Video here.

Koenders called on "those responsible, whatever side," to go before a judge. Most accounts of the incident make clear that rocks were thrown at an FPI rally.

Inner City Press asked if ONUCI has any oversight or critiquing role, something the UN of late seems to have abandoned. Koenders said he is just carrying out his mandate. Indeed.

Koenders said he'd asked for an investigation, [followed] "by France and the US." Inner City Press said that given action in the Security Council such an investigation might not give the appearance to all of objectivity.

Koenders then insisted he and the UN are calling for an "independent" investigation. But despite questioning, he refused to say by whom. Could an investigation of alleged government impropriety, by the government, be considered independent? We'll see.

At UN on Sahel, Pakistan Opposes "Hot Pursuit" Like "All Means" On Nigeria

2012-01-28T16:08:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- When new members join the Security Council, as five did this month, they bring new questions, new red lines and sore spots. So it has been with Pakistan. At Thursday's debate about the Sahel region, the speaker for Pakistan took issue with use of the term "hot pursuit."

While in his Council statement the Pakistani representative did not further explain, outside the chamber two explanations were offered to Inner City Press: most recently US entries, by drone and otherwise, and further back, the threat of such from India.

Afterward, the representative of a Saharan country said, "Mali and Mauritania favor hot pursuit, why is a country in another region opposing it?" But that's now the Council works: countries concerned with precedents.

Similarly, and sticking for this story with Pakistan, after the bombings in Kano in Nigeria claime by Boko Haram, the resulting Council press statement took days to issue. Sources tell Inner City Press Pakistan opposed the term "all means," then wanted the usually standard provisos about international law appended specifically to the phase.

Finally a previous model, used for an attack in Herat in Afghanistan in 2010, was used: "combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." But other Council members expressed frustration, or solicitude for Pakistan being new on the Council.

After the Sahel debate, a press statement that was circulated was not agreed to. South Africa complains that "they want to say all these problems existed before Libya," problems that are not even on the agenda of the Security Council.

Another country responded that it all can't be blamed on Libya, "that's politics." And that's why -- there was no press statement on Thursday. Watch this site.

Footnotes: Thursday it was agreed to have the Arab League's Syria briefing of the Security Council at 3 pm on Tuesday, the last day of South Africa's presidency of the Council. Next is Togo, which Inner City Press is told has just brought in five more people from Lomo to staff its mission. Togo's president is slated to come, for now on February 21; the debates should including the Sahel. Watch this site.

After ICP Exclusive, UN Admits Suspicious Bags Found, Leaves Courier Questions Unanswered

2012-01-28T16:06:00.001-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26, updated -- After Inner City Press this morning published, and at noon asked, about cocaine found inside the UN, two hours later the UN has issued a "Note to Correspondents" seeking to minimize the UN's role while not answer the questions that were actually raised and asked.

Inner City Press asked, "what is ID/OIOS" -- the Investigations division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, from which Ban removed his critic Inga Britt Ahlenius - "doing about drug trafficking in the UN?"

From a whistleblowering source, Inner City Press also posed this question from a whistleblowing source: "why didn't they let the pouch be picked up and see where it would lead?"

Rare for the Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, this follow up answer was provided:

Subject: Note to Correspondents on suspicious bags
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 2:14 PM

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS FROM THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Last week, two suspicious mail bags were intercepted by the Security and Safety Service at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The United Nations nor anyone located in the United Nations was the intended recipient of this delivery and the bags were not UN bags, diplomatic or other.

The relevant Host Country authorities - the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York Police Department - were notified about the discovery of the suspicious bags and the material handed over to their custody. The U.S. Mission to the United Nations was also kept informed.

As the Host Country authorities are investigating, we would refer you to the DEA or NYPD for any further details.

At least at the top level, Inner City Press can report first hand that the US Mission to the UN was not informed or aware. Further reporting by Inner City Press including with the "Host Country authorities" to which Ban's spokesperson's office now refers the Press, reveals a story that continues to raise questions about the UN. Federal sources confirm they have "launched an investigation."

Some "private couriers" make deliveries to the UN, using a loading dock in the UN's third sub basement. The cocaine at issue, Inner City Press has learned, came in this way.

The argument is that there were two packages not addressed to the UN which got added to the delivery to the UN, and were found during the screening process inside the UN.

That $750,000 to $ million of cocaine showed up in the UN, with its unique legal character, by mistake is not immediately credible to some. But even accepting it, it raises the question of what are the practices, screening and otherwise, of the couriers the UN allows in?

Update -- in the aftermath of Inner City Press' exclusive report Thursday morning and subsequent public question to the UN at its noon briefing, the NYPD has provided a statement that "because there was no addressee, the DHL just thought well that's the UN symbol so we should ship it on to UN headquarters and let them figure out who it was supposed to go to." A unattributed windfall? We'll see.

At UN on Syria, Arab League Report Still Not In, Germany Says No Precondition

2012-01-28T16:05:00.001-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26, updated -- After a morning in which several Western members of the Security Council said that the Arab League would brief the Council on Monday, when consultations broke up at 1:45 pm on Thursday, things were not so clear.

Russia's Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin stopped and told the Press that the Arab League monitoring report annex (which Inner City Press first reported on yesterday, here) has still not been received, "even in Arabic."

Once it is, Churkin said, it must be translated into English -- he said he did not demand Russian -- and given to capitals. He mentioned a possible briefing on Tuesday. He told Inner City Press that "General Al Dabi," the Sudanese chief of the monitoring mission, will be be available but that he requested, and no one objected, that if members request it Dabi come and brief at some later date.

Germany's Deputy Permanent Representative Miguel Berger came out and said that having the annex "cannot be a precondition" for the briefing.

He said that Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi, and the Qatari minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, now dubbed "HBJ" by some Council diplomats, would be able to tell the Council everything that is in the report.

Berger said Germany would have preferred Monday -- which makes it sound like Tuesday at latest. Meanwhile some say HBJ arrives in New York on Saturday, so that could change. Watch this site.

Update of 4:10 pm -- Inner City Press is reliably informed that the ArabLeague briefing of the Council is Tuesday 3pm, regardless of annex and translation (which will "probably" be done).

At UN, 14 Kilos Cocaine Found in UN Mail Room, NYPD Called: ICP Exclusive

2012-01-28T16:04:00.002-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 26, updated -- A large quantity of cocaine was found upon entry into the United Nations compound, "via the UN diplomatic pouch," a well placed UN source exclusively told Inner City Press. [See update below.]

Inquiries with both member states and security officials confirm the find of fourteen kilograms of "pure cocaine... through the scanner" -- the scanner which security sources say is located in the UN's still open third sub basement.

Whistleblowing sources complain that while international drug trafficking is (at least) a Federal crime, only the NY Police Department was called, apparently with little follow-through so far. "Why didn't they let the pouch be picked up and see where it would lead?" this whistleblower asked Inner City Press.

After the "suspicious package" was found, select UN Security personnel were convened and cursorily told that it had been turned over "to the host country."

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon alienated many within UN Security when, after security officers were injured by the bodyguards of Turkey's prime minister Erogan in September 2011, as Inner City Press exclusively reported Ban immediately went and apologized to Erdogan. "Now this," one source told Inner City Press.

Another source asked, under Ban, "what is ID/OIOS" -- the Investigations division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, from which Ban removed his critic Inga Britt Ahlenius - "doing about drug trafficking in the UN?" Watch this site.

Background: when Inner City Press previously exposed the dispensation of narcotics by UN "doctors" who were not licensed in New York, the UN's response was to claim that the report violated privacy, and to demand that evidence be withdrawn.

Now, on the cocaine, Inner City Press' whistleblowing sources want to know: where has the evidence gone, and where is the follow up, in Ban Ki-moon's purportedly reformed or reforming UN?

Update: after publishing the story above, Inner City Press went to the January 26 UN noon briefing and put a series of questions to Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky. Nesirky confirmed the find and that local authorities were called; he said it was "not connected with the UN." (His answer was picked up.)

But if it was inside the UN, how is it not connected to the UN?

Inner City Press has gotten off the cuff, and requested formal, comment from the US Mission to the UN - watch this site.

After IMF Ignores Kenya Question for 3 Days, It Says Doesn't Deal with Individuals

2012-01-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- Hours after the International Criminal Court in the Hague on January 23 confirmed charges against four of six Kenyan officials for crimes against humanity during the post-election violence, Inner City Press formally asked several International Monetary Fund spokespeople to "state how this ICC indictment changes the ways in which the ICC will engage with this finance minister," Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.

Given past IMF stonewalling, on questions ranging from IMF financing of Dominique Strauss Kahn's forays to the place of human rights if any in its decision-making, after submitting the Kenya question to the IMF, Inner City Press made the question public, here and on Twitter.

Three full days went by without the IMF stating its position. On Thursday, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki e-mailed out a statement that "the president has accepted the decision by Uhuru Kenyatta to step aside as the minister for finance."

Kenyatta is, however, remaining on as deputy prime minister. While this was a post created in the 2008 deal, the partial resignation impacting only the Finance post implies that Kibaki felt that someone -- the IMF? -- would not have dealt with the country through Kenyatta.

Inner City Press on Thursday morning reiterated its question of Monday, by e-mail before the IMF's biweekly online briefing and through the Fund's "Media Center" during the briefing.

While not having acknowledged Inner City Press' formal and public question on January 23, on January 26 IMF deputy spokesman David Hawley took the question from another publication -- and dodged it.

Hawley said the IMF has no comment, it has relations with "governments, not individuals."

This is a dodge. The IMF is ostensibly part of the UN system; while the UN could say it deals with governments not individuals, it has a stated policy that it will deal with ICC-indictees only "as necessary."

How can the IMF deal with governments except through people? And what is its policy?

Inner City Press before the embargo expired asked the IMF:

a follow up for deadline on your Kenya answer: what is the IMF's policy on dealing with government officials who have been indicted for war crimes or genocide when they have not, as here, resigned? please explain why the question when I submitted it on Monday was never answered or even acknowledged. And the Sri Lanka questions, and the ones of last briefing:

On Sri Lanka, what is the IMF's response to Central Bank Governor Ajit Nivad Cabraal statement on January 3 that Sri Lanka will seek a fresh “follow up or surveillance program” with the IMF as the $2.6 billion loan obtained in 2009 is reportedly due to expire early this year? What is the IMF's thinking on Sri Lanka's failure to fully meet the budget deficit targets and its refusal to devalue the rupee?

On Ukraine, what if the relation between that country's negotiations with Russia on gas prices and the IMF resuming talks, after Ukraine passed the bankruptcy legislation it said the IMF wanted? Etc.

Watch this site.

As Ban Confirms Ousting His Deputy, Sources Slam UN Musical Chairs

2012-01-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- Amid calls for and claims of UN reform, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday belatedly confirmed he is ousting his Tanzanian Deputy Asha-Rose Migiro, Angela Kane of Germany as his head of Management, and Vijay Nambiar of India as his chief of staff.

Inner City Press had previously reported each of these, most recently identifying Susana Malcorra of Argentina as Migiro's replacement. When Inner City Press asked on January 23, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said he had not seen the Tanzanian newspaper which picked up Inner City Press' story.

Now a range of well-placed sources have painted for Inner City Press Ban Ki-moon's next steps. Rather than the top UN Disarmament post, for which there is better qualified outside interest, Angela Kane is said to be destined for the UN Economic Commission for Europe post vacated by Jan Kubis.

A third American name has surfaced for the Department of Management post Kane is losing. As a savvy Deputy Permanent Representative told Inner City Press, Patrick "Kennedy is the one, leaving as you've reported the contest for [the] D[epartment of] P[olitical] A[ffairs] between Jane Holl Lute and Alejandro Wolff."

Other sources say that Wolff's so far short service as US Ambassador in Chile is an issue. Within DPA, transition projects initially premised on American B. Lynn Pascoe leaving at the end of February have now been delayed to the end of May.

The Deputy Permanent Representative continued, "the UK is getting frozen out. They can't get back DPA. So they want for Nambiar's chief of staff post their Perm Rep here, Mark Lyall Grant."

For the record, when ICP was previously told by another well placed Secretariat source, "Mark Lyall Grant for chef de cabinet" or Chief of Staff, Inner City Press inquired and got a denial of Lyall Grant as an Under Secretary General, now included here. (Some wonder, could the UK be gunning for Deputy Secretary General - that is, not a USG post?)

Under the USG theory, the UK getting the Chief of Staff post would mean Valerie Amos would vacate the USG post at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Japan could retake OCHA, as it is losing Kiyo Akasaka atop the Department of Public Information.

On December 5 without taking any questions, Vijay Nambiar announced that Sha Zukang of the Department of Social and Economic Affairs and Shabaan Shabaan of the Department of General Assembly and Conference Affairs would leave after Rio + 20.

Sources say Sha would like to stay - but that a direct pull back from Nambiar's December 5 announcement "wouldn't look right." They say, why not Sha laterally, a la Nambiar and Kane, to DGACM, with "the other Egyptian, Maged Abdelaziz, taking over DESA?"

Maged Abdelaziz is a big player for the Group of 77 and the Non Aligned Movement, now on Rio + 20 and in December on the UN budget. Exemplifying how countries use "their" UN Secretariat officials, sources say that in December with Argentina still chairing G-77, the Argentine mission asked the Argentine head of the Department of Field Support Susana Malcorra to "get involved," for G-77.

To replace Malcorra at DFS, rather than moving as many think Ban should to a national of a major Troop Contributing Country, sources point to a candidate they call "homegrown" - that is, already in the UN and DFS. But the candidate they name is another American: Tony Banbury.

When Ban gave his reform speech on January 25, which many Permanent Representatives panned to ICP, US ambassador for Management Joseph Torsella tweeted excitedly about it. Some link this to the number of USG posts that the US is seeking, in seeming contradiction to Torsella's criticism in other contexts of "closed" slates, positions pre-dedicated to particular countries.

Ban himself is said by sources close to him to be particularly concerned with South Koreans. How and where to keep Information Technology chief Choi, and "another Choi"?

A close source self described as "outraged" at Ban Ki-moon's personnel practices told Inner City Press disgustedly, "Ban's staffer Isabel is a relative of his wife," amid much head shaking. Unlike the denial of "Mark Lyall Grant as USG" stated above, we have no denial or confirmation of this last from Ban or his spokesperson's office, which has refused to confirm or deny or even take questions on the simplest of facts, even after answers have on camera been promised.

This is Ban's UN - watch this site.