UN's Second Syria Chemical Weapons Report, on Which Ban Ki-Moon Declines Qs, Says Never Got to Khan al Asal, Mentions Popova Video

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 12 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accepted Ake Sellstrom's second report on Syria chemical weapons on December 12, unlike the first he did not call it overwhelming. 

  When asked, he declined to answer any question about it (and declined a separate question about the reported execution in North Korea). Inner City Press video here.

  It was Syria which first invited the UN to investigate chemical weapons there, the Khan al Asal incident. Later a Russian television reporter Ms. Anastasia Popova said she had video, and Inner City Press asked about it. It was provided, and is mentioned in Sellstrom's second report, but no more than that.

  Sellstrom's report says they never got to Khan al Asal. The report is online here; after it was up, the filler text on UN Disarmament's web site was still a Latin quote about pleasure and pain. 

  Ban will brief the General Assembly about it on December 13, and the Security Council on December 16, when he says he'll take press (or Press?) questions. His spokesperson took only one Inner City Press question on Thursday, and Friday's by no means certain. 

  After reporting the delay on November 28, US Thanksgiving, Inner City Press waited until November 29, a UN work-day (albeit with no noon briefing), to ask Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokespeople in writing:

"Please confirm that Ake Sellstrom's second report on chemical weapons in Syria, including in Khan al Asal, will be finished on December 13, as reported on Swedish government website: http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/495 From the UN's perspective, is the 13th still "early December"? Relatedly, please explain in detail the reason for delay from the initial projection of "late October." Also, why was it the Swedish government and not the UN that announced this new completion date?"

Here was the UN's response to Inner City Press:

Subject: Your questions for Friday
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding the questions you asked by email, the Spokesperson has the following to say:

On the report by Ake Sellstrom's team, the date for the issuance of the final report of the investigation into allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic has been delayed as additional analytical work has been required. The results of this analysis are expected in the next few days and the report finalised thereafter. The issuance of the final report is expected to be in the middle of December.

  When Inner City Press last asked, the UN said without explanation it had been delayed into "early December"? Video here and embedded (second) below.

  As to the 13th, the question was why didn't the UN announce it? The UN canceled its noon briefing on November 27 for a "stakeout" at which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon took only two insider questions, none on Syria (or the increasing corporate domination of by the UN, most recently by Bank of America and even Shell.)

  On December 11 Ban's spokesperson Martin Nesirky was asked (by Inner City Press) about the December 13 date, and replied that it would be the UN's decision. Then on December 12 he said it would be in the afternoon -- then would not accept even a second question, instead taking four from the same journalist.  For the photo op, one must arrive a full 55 minutes early.

   The UN's chemical weapon team under Ake Sellstrom first went to Syria to look into Khan al Asal, where Syria said rebels used sarin gas. But once in Damascus, the team shifted its focus to a later, August 31 incident in Al Ghouta.

It reported quickly on that, then returned to Syria -- ostensibly, to look into Khan al Asal and other locations. On September 30, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky announced that 

"the team of chemical weapons investigators led by Professor Ake Sellström, which was in Syria to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons there, has just left the country after completing its six-day mission. The team will now move to the phase of finalizing its report, which the team hopes will be ready by late October."

Even then, on October 4, Inner City Press asked about limitations on that visit, including not visiting Khan al Asal: (Video here)

Inner City Press: Khan al-Asal, without any disrespect, I just wanted a simple answer why the UN never went to Khan al-Asal. I read it a number of times; maybe I am being dense, but was it that it they couldn’t get there? Was it was too deteriorated? I am not suggesting those are the reasons, I just wanna know what the reason is.

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, it does say, not in that particular part that you have in front of you; it does say on 30 September, that transcript from Monday, or let’s be clear about it: I said there are a number of reasons, potential reasons. And one of those includes that with the passage of time, it becomes… I don’t think you expect me, I know you are reading what I said, you don’t think you’d expect me to say exactly what I said on Monday?

Inner City Press: I am asking you a substantive question; what would you say to those who say it’s a shame if the request, the initial request to go to Syria was to visit this one place... it seems to cry, to call out for an answer of why what was initially requested was not done.

Spokesperson: Right, right, so, listen: As I have said, as I have said here a number of times, there are a number of factors why it was not possible or feasible to go. And one of those is that with the passage of time, there is a deterioration of the material that could be used for sampling, and, therefore, to help decide whether chemical weapons were used or not. But as I also said, there is a portfolio of different ways that the team, the investigation team, can gather evidence and try to determine at a distance whether chemical weapons were used. That’s one of the possible constraints. Another is obviously security. And with regard to the broader question about the passage of time, everybody knows that it was not for want of trying that the team did not get there until August. As you well know from March, there was extremely hard work done on both sides — meaning the Syrian authorities and the United Nations in the form of the Office for Disarmament Affairs — to make this work. It was not easy. And that’s been plainly said by any number of people, including the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. But the fact of the matter is that everyone persevered because there was an interest to get in. And eventually, they were able to get in and they were able then to determine that chemical weapons had indeed been used in that incident on 21 August; and they furthermore have continued both outside and then, on a subsequent visit to Syria that ended on Monday, to gather material so that they can present a final report at the end of this month.

When October 31 arrived without any report, Inner City Press went to the UN's noon briefing and asked about the status of Sellstrom's report (video here)

Inner City Press: on Syria and chemical weapons, since it is now the end of October, I wanted to ask for a status update of the second Sellström report on Khan al-Asal, on the other sites, where does this stand?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, you’re right it’s 31 October, trick or treat. So Professor Sellström is working on the final report in coordination with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and World Health Organization experts who were part of the UN mission. A number of samples are still being analysed by the designated laboratories and the results are expected to be provided to the UN Mission early next week. The final report is expected to be finalized in early December, after all information gathered by the UN mission has been evaluated. Other questions, please.

So why, after the speed up of Sellstrom's report into al Ghouta, which Ban Ki-moon declared to be "overwhelming" before he even saw it, has his reporting including Khan al Asal been delayed for more than a month -- and then to December 12? That has still not been answered. Watch this site.

   

On Syria, French Ambassador Araud Omits Chemical Weapons, AFP Makes Much of Them: Ladsous Pro Quo

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 28 -- Is the issue of chemical weapons use in Syria just a bargaining chip, flashed and then forgotten? Midday on Friday July 26 after a closed door meeting with Syrian oppositionists, French Ambassador Gerard Araud emerged, made a statement and answered questions. But he did not even mention chemical weapons.

  French Mission transcript here; Inner City Press analysis here.

  At 11 pm Friday, the UN e-mailed out a vague "joint statement" by the "Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs [Angela Kane] and the Head of the United Nations Investigation Mission," Ake Sellstrom.

  It was one line: "The discussions were thorough and productive and led to an agreement on the way forward." Inner City Press tweeted out this comment, as vague as US Secretary of State John Kerry's claim about an agreement to talk between Israel and Palestine.

  But while French Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud showed by his silence how peripheral or unhelpful to the Gulf and Western cause the chemical weapons issue has become, Agence France Presse for example found a way to turn the one line into a whole story: add a quote from one of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's four Associate Spokespeople. This is how this UN works.

  AFP, by contrast, did not cover the UN's culpability for killing 5000 people in Haiti by bringing in cholera, which Inner City Press asked about at Friday's UN noon briefing; nor the many scandals swirling around Herve Ladsous, thefourth Frenchman in a row to head UN peacekeeping.

  This too is how this UN works: faux UN briefing by non-media organizations which spy for the UN, to allow Saudi backed oppositionists to try to lay the groundwork, as Araud did, for a switch of UN seat as France has engineered elsewhere. But you won't read that in Agence France Presse. Watch this site.

Footnote: while many were dismissive of it, the footage taken in real time by Russian state television reporter Anastasia Popova at Khan al Asal becomes more pertinent - or does it? We'll see.

   

Road to Damascus: As UN's Kane and Sellstrom Agree To Go to Syria, UN Won't Characterize 80 Pages or PopovaRoad to Damascus: As UN's Kane and Sellstrom Agree To Go to Syria, UN Won't Characterize 80 Pages or Popova

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 -- It's been three days on Syria and chemical weapons at the UN. On July 8, Syria's Bashar Ja'afari invited UN official Angela Kane and prober Ake Sellstrom to Damascus for talks, citing 281 containers of rebel chemical weapons just found.

  On July 9, Russia's Vitaly Churkin told the press he'd given an 80 page analysis to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, of rebel use of chemical weapons at Khan al-Asal in March. 

  And now on July 10, in a statement issued three hours after a meeting of which no independent photographing much less coverage was allowed, the UN says Kane and Sellstrom have agreed to go to Syria, to get on the road to Damascus. All in three days.

  On Tuesday after Churkin's lengthy stakeout -- Inner City Press asked him about the evidence of Russian state television reporter Anastasia Popova -- at the day's noon briefing Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: I wanted to know about this 80-page presentation that Russia says it made to, to the Secretary-General. Do you have any comment on it? How does it affect he invitation from Syria? Is it the biggest submission that he has received to date and when will it be given to Mr. Sellström?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, I don’t think that Ambassador [Vitaly] Churkin made an 80-page presentation. What he did was to hand over a document of that length. And needless to say, given that it is a weighty and quite technical document, that is being studied. And of course, it is then for my colleagues in the Office for Disarmament Affairs to analyse and to then provide guidance and advice to the Secretary-General. That document, that information was only handed over just very, very recently. Ambassador Churkin came to the stakeout directly from the meeting with the Secretary-General; therefore, I think you would not expect us to have an immediate detailed comment. The Secretary-General has stated repeatedly that he takes seriously all credible allegations. And of course, there is a technical mission headed by Dr. Aka Sellström. And that mission has the job to look into all credible allegations. And so therefore, when material is provided by Member States, then it is looked at extremely carefully.

Inner City Press: this among the most detailed presentations so far that had been turned in to either the Secretariat or the team? Can you characterize that?

Spokesperson: No, I can’t, really, no.

Similarly on July 8 when asked by Inner City Press, Nesirky declined to provide specifics on how much of Popova's presentation had been given to Sellstrom by Angela Kane's team. But at 7 pm on Wednesday, the UN announced in pertinent part:

“Professor Sellström provided an oral update on the Mission’s off-site activities, which included the analysis of information received from Member States and fact-finding activities in a neighboring country. The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ms. Angela Kane, and Professor Sellström, have agreed to accept the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic’s invitation to visit Damascus with a view to completing the consultations on the modalities of cooperation required for the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the United Nations Mission to Investigate Allegations of the Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.”

That would be the UNMIAUCWSAR -- quite an acronym. And what will it accomplish? Watch this site.

   

On Syria, WFP & FAO Say Sanctions Ban Vaccines, Russia on Rebels' Chemical Weapons

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 -- The World Food Program released a detailed study about Syria on July 5 along with the Food and Agriculture Organization; it said “Vaccines are in short supply and sanctions prohibit imports.”

  On Tuesday Inner City Press asked WFP's Emergency Coordinator for Syria Muhannad Hadi about that line in the two UN agencies' report, given the claim that sanctions are not impacting items like vaccines.

  Hadi said “I can't talk about sanctions.” He did however say that harvests are down 40%. He described WFP workers trying repeatedly to get into conflict zones, adding that it doesn't matter to WFP who is doing the shooting that stops their entry.

Inner City Press asked about the seige of Aleppo, which even opposition supporters acknowledge is a rebel tactic to try to cut off Army supply lines. Hadi replied that WFP pre-positioned food in Aleppo. But how long will it last?

Hadi seemed genuinely knowledgeable about Syria. But if the UN can talk about sanctions and the impact in a joint report, why can't it explain what the line means, in person?

Just before Hadi's briefing about Syria, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the press he'd given an 80 page submission about rebel use of chemical weapons in Khan al Asal.

Inner City Press asked Churkin if the submission jibed with the contemporaneous filming of Russia state television reporter Anastasia Popova, then asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if 80 pages was the most detailed submission yet. This, he wouldn't answer. Nor did he take questions about the Central African Republic, which he'd mentioned in his opening, or Haiti. Watch this site.

   

At UN on Chemical Weapons, As Ja'afari Invited Kane and Sellstom to Syria, Popova Evidence Cited, Ban Ki-moon Looks On

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 -- When Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari arranged to speak to the press Monday morning in front of the Security Council, the topic was chemical weapons. Sources told Inner City Press it would be about weapons Syria's government says they found with the opposition.

But Ja'afari led with an invitation, saying he had just told Secretary General Ban Ki-moon he was inviting Ban's envoy Angela Kane and expert Ake Sellstrom to Damascus to meet with his foreign minister. 

 A reporter asked, so Syria will allow inspection of sites beyond Khan al Assad? Ja'afari noted that he hadn't said that.

  He referred to the evidence of Russian state TV reporter Anastasia Popova, on which Inner City Press has been reported, including when Angela Kane and her colleague were dismissive of the evidence, or at least of their ability to process it.

As Ja'afari was speaking about having just told Ban Ki-moon the news, Ban and his entourage walked by, coming from the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Ban stopped at top of the ramp to watch, or listen, then waved at the press.

After the Ja'afari stakeout, a Western diplomat on the Security Council scoffed to Inner City Press about the invitation, isn't this where we've been all along? Will they have unfettered access or not?

But isn't the UN all about talking, when it is offered?

So one is left wondering: will Kane and Sellstrom go? Watch this site.

  

Now UN Says Video of Syria Rebels' Chemical WeaponsUse Went to Sellstrom, Chides ICP for Filming in UN Briefing Room

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 4 -- The day after video footage depicting Syria rebels' use of chemical weapons was described dismissively to Inner City Press by UN official Angela Kane, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky insisted it had nonetheless been given to prober Ake Sellstrom.

Then, despite Kane's comments being in the UN briefing room after her colleague said to ask her any pressing questions, Nesirky reproached Inner City Press for recording without telling Kane. Is that necessary, in a press briefing room? From the UN's June 4 transcript:

Inner City Press: your office on May 23rd said that information provided by the journalist Anastasia Popova had been received by the High Representative, and was being converted into a usable format and being sent to Mr. Sellström. And then, yesterday, speaking to Ms. [Angela] Kane, she said there was some problems with the material, that it was much shorter than she thought it would be, it seemed to me that it hadn’t been given to Mr. Sellström. Do you, are you aware whether it has been or not and is there a way to find out whether, and if not, why not?

Spokesperson Nesirky: There is a way to find out, Matthew; the footage of alleged chemical weapons use that was provided by Anastasia Popova has been passed on to the head of the mission, Mr. Åke Sellström. And, as I have said, he continues to conduct the mission’s work outside of Syria, and to analyse all information made available to it.

Question: Her colleague who was with her yesterday said that they tried, but technically it wasn’t feasible; maybe they, that he just mean he couldn’t, they couldn’t make it as good as they--

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, maybe you could go back and look at the footage that you’ve recorded on camera without actually telling Ms. Kane. What’s your next question?

Inner City Press: ...Sure, I do have another question. But since you brought this filming thing, I just wanna make it clear, it took place here in the briefing room, and I was told that, if you have a pressing question, ask her; so, I, I don’t think there was any, should be any surprise that you might be filmed in the briefing room answering a question.

So why is the UN so defensive?

Inner City Press on June 3 asked Kane about the footage provided by Russian state TV reporter Anastasia Popova.Video here and embedded below.

  Kane said "it's like two seconds each picture." The UN official with her added, "we tried to make it as documentary... we never managed, technically."

Inner City Press cited back to the UN's May 23 statement. Kane said, "I had nothing to do with the response." She added that Sellstrom, Ban's chemical weapons prober, has "received a number" of submissions. 

 Her colleague said Popova's was "dozens of very short clips."

Back on April 30 at the Russian Mission to the UN, Popova, told Inner City Press that while she had information about the use of chemical weapons in Al-Asal, the UN panel headed by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro had declined to look at it.

  Inner City Press wrote the story, and on May 1 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky if Ban's prober Ake Sellstrom would be willing to look at Popova's evidence. Yes, Nesirky said, to the surprise of some. And those some were again circling on June 4. Watch this site.

Exclusive: UN Says Video of Syria Rebels' Chemical Weapons Use Was Too Short, Tells Inner City Press, "We Never Managed"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- Of footage of chemical weapons use by Syrian rebels which the UN ten days ago said was being "converted into a usable format, and it is being sent to the Head of the Team, Ake Sellstrom," the UN on June 3 told Inner City Press "we never managed, technically."

  This either seems like news that should have been announced, or the UN's May 23 statement should have been retracted, that "on material shared by Anastasia Popova... the High Representative's Office has received the material and are converting it into a usable format, and it is being sent to the Head of the Team, Ake Sellstrom."

  At the June 3 press conference featuring UN High Representative on Disarmament Angela Kane, the moderator said that pressing questions could be asked afterward to the panelists. Inner City Press waited and asked Kane about the footage provided by Russian state TV reporter Anastasia Popova. Video here and embedded below.

  Kane said "it's like two seconds each picture." The UN official with her added, "we tried to make it as documentary... we never managed, technically."

Inner City Press cited back to the UN's May 23 statement. Kane said, "I had nothing to do with the response." She added that Sellstrom, Ban's chemical weapons prober, has "received a number" of submissions. 

 Her colleague said Popova's was "dozens of very short clips." It seems clear that either what Popova submitted has NOT been given to Sellstrom, or if so it is not being taken seriously.

Back on April 30 at the Russian Mission to the UN, Popova, told Inner City Press that while she had information about the use of chemical weapons in Al-Asal, the UN panel headed by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro had declined to look at it.

  Inner City Press wrote the story, and on May 1 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky if Ban's prober Ake Sellstrom would be willing to look at Popova's evidence. Yes, Nesirky said, to the surprise of some.

  Now: did Sellstrom even get it?  And have he and Kane similarly (not) sought or got any of the information Carla Del Ponte referred to when she spoke of "strong suspicions" of chemical weapons used -- by the Syrian rebels, not the government? Watch this site.

On Syria Sarin, UN Ban Ki-moon Spox Criticizes Inner City Press, Won't Say If Sellstrom Has Got or Wants Del Ponte Info

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 7 -- Why is the UN so defensive about its probe(s) into chemical weapons in Syria? Video here from Minute 15:12.

  On Tuesday, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky did not answer Inner City Press' questions on whether Ban's prober Ake Sellstrom had received the information cited by Geneva-based rights prober Carla Del Ponte.

  Instead, Nesirky pulled out of a file a print out, and criticized Inner City Press' blog of the night before, which ran in full a response from his office, minutes after it was received, and noted

"it sure doesn't say that Sellstrom will consider the evidence his fellow UN system prober Del Ponte has and cited to. Last week, Nesirky told Inner City Press that Sellstrom would be willing to look at video footage collected by Russian state TV reporter Anastasia Popova. Why consider that, and not information from another UN system body? SHOULD these two inquiries be UNrelated?"

  These might seem like fair questions: should two UN system inquiries be consider "unrelated"? Getting more concrete, should Sellstrom simply wait and see what information is submitted to him? Or, at least in the case of information publicly cited by another UN system official, should he reach out and request the information?

  Nesirky after reading from Inner City Press blog not only would not answer if Sellstrom has received the information to which Del Ponte cited -- he would not answer if Sellstrom or Ban Ki-moon will EVER say if this information was received and considered. Video here from Minute 15:12.

  That goes or will go directly to the credibility of Sellstrom's report to Ban, and Ban's report to member states. So why get so angry that the question is asked? Nesirky ended the briefing and left, not allow other questions Inner City Press (and others, we assume) had prepared to ask. 

  These included questions refused by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, whose spokesman Kieran Dwyer on "World Press Freedom Day" cited Inner City Press' "blog posts" as the reason Ladsous won't answer. Video here. What next? Watch this site.

Footnote: Regarding the information or video footage of Russian state media reporter Anastasia Popova, after Inner City Press reported on her offer of proof, anonymous social media accounts associated by the UN Correspondents Association and Reuters immediately falsely accused Inner City Press of being in the pay of the Assad government of Syria, just as they've made false allegation about the defunct Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, which led to death threats.

   This is the context. We'll have more on this.

On Syria, Ban's UNscheduled P5 Meeting, Sellstrom on May 3, Popova Evidence?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 -- On Syria, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with the Permanent Five members of the Security Council at 10:45 am. 

  But even after noon, the meeting was not on Ban's online public schedule. So Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson Martin Nesirky about it. From the UN's transcript:

Spokesperson Nesirky: the Secretary-General invited the ambassadors of the permanent five members of the Security Council to an informal meeting this morning, for discussions on Syria. They discussed possible diplomatic moves to end the crisis. He briefed them on the latest developments relating to the chemical weapons investigation mission. And they also discussed the ever-worsening humanitarian situation inside Syria and the neighboring countries and international efforts to alleviate it. Okay, yes?

Inner City Press: it might seem kind of procedural to you, but I am looking at the appointments of the Secretary-General’s page, and I don’t see that meeting. I understand it may have come up quickly, but is this the type of meeting that normally would be listed? I have been trying and understand what gets listed and what doesn’t get listed.

Spokesperson Nesirky: The first part of your layered question has the answer in it.

Inner City Press: Meaning what? That it came up quickly?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Correct. Next question?

  But the meeting wasn't even put on Ban's online schedule an hour and a half after the meeting took place. Last week, Inner City Press asked Nesirky about Ban meeting former French president (and current investment adviser to Qatar) Nicholas Sarkozy.

  Nesirky didn't answer Inner City Press, but gave the answer to Agence France Presse: Ban met Sarkozy at Ban's UN-provided residence. It was never put on Ban's schedule -- despite Sarkozy's connection with Qatar, which is to say, on Syria.

  Now on May 3, Ban is publicly scheduled to meet his chemical weapons prober Ake Sellstrom at 12:30 pm. Will Sellstrom have considered any of the evidence of Anastasia Popova by then? On May 1 Inner City Press asked Nesirky:

Inner City Press: yesterday, the Russians hosted a Russian State journalist that had been in Syria for some eight months, Anastasia Popova. Among other things, she said that she was in Khan al-Assal just after the attack and interviewed people. So, she said that she is offering this evidence. She said that the Pinheiro panel didn’t want to speak with her, saying that they would only speak first-hand to refugees, but I am wondering whether it is the Secretary-General’s understanding that his probe, if it can’t get into the country, or while it can’t get into the country, is this the type of evidence that they would be willing to take a look at?

Spokesperson Nesirky: The mission is looking at many different kinds of material that is available. And if this journalist, Ms. Papova, has information that she thinks is useful, then she should seek to contact the team. I am sure that she could do that through the Russian Mission. I am sure that that would be feasible. Whether it turns out to be admissible evidence or not is another matter, but there is no reason not to at least make the offer.

Watch this site.

For Covering Beheadings of Assad Supporters by Syrian Opposition, UNCA Troll Calls Inner City Press Pro-Assad, Anonymously Of Course: UN Cowardice Association

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- From Reuters, Agence France Presse and Voice of America they went, from the UN to the Russian Mission on 67th Street at 5 pm on Tuesday, to watch a war reporter from Russian state media make an argument about Syria with slides.

  Depicted were beheadings and stories of mass rape -- this time by the armed opposition and not just the government. There was several reports of civilians accused of being pro Assad getting kidnapped, tortured and killed, in one case cut into 18 pieces.

  There was a time for questions; all but Agence France Presse asked something.

Inner City Press asked the reporter, Anastasia Popova, on what basis she said the chemical weapons used at Khan al-Asal were from the opposition. Eyewitnesses, she said. They told her the Free Syrian Army did it. Inner City Press also asked about media bias, a topic which Popova touched on, specifically criticizing Reuters along with Al Jazeera.

Afterward from a Starbucks on Third Avenue on the way toanother event, Inner City Press wrote a quick story, noting that some said Popova's interviewees had been tortured and that UN probers from Paulo Pinheiro directly to chemical weapons investigator Sellstrom by omission had ignored what information Popova gathered in eight months in Syria.

Without including the names of the correspondents, Inner City Press noted -- because it was part of the story -- that "many in the audience were from Western media -- Reuters, Agence France Presse, Voice of America. Their questions were cagey: how did Popova get access to the opposition, since they hate Russia? Didn't she admit that at first the Syrian opposition was peaceful, popular and for democracy? (She didn't)."

Seven hours later, at two in the morning, an anonymous social media account associated with the UN Correspondents Association's Executive Committee opined -- unlike Inner City Press, concealing the author -- on Inner City Press' "excellent pro Assad propaganda, it's good you show your true colors and let us know who your sponsors are."

  We're all for snarky commentary; free speech includes even such a baseless allegation that whoever disagrees with you must be taking money.

  But it is shameful that big media scribes would have so little courage that they would hide their identity as trolls.

  These same have alternately claimed Inner City Press is in the pay of Rwanda, or of a defunct Sri Lanka terrorist group (this UNCA allegation gave rise to death threats - thanks!)

The more recent account is followed by another which calls itself the German Mission to the UN; that Mission has twice declined to state if this follower with its name is, in fact, affiliated with the German government."

  This account has included photographs taken in a room behind the UN Security Council stakeout; it has explicitly defended Reuters when Inner City Press, on the record, critiqued a story.

  Reuters including top editor Stephen J. Adler, its "social media editor" and top columnist have been shown links between Reuters correspondent Michelle Nichols and these anonymous troll social media accounts -- but they have done nothing.

  The UN's Department of Public Information, which convened a February 22 meeting involving Inner City Press, for the Free UN Correspondents Association, and UNCA's president Pamela Falk and first vice president Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, heard of the fake social media accounts, one of which recently quoted approvingly a narrow definition of journalism put online by DPI's Stephane Dujarric. But nothing has been done.

It's come to this. Watch this site.