On Cholera, As UN Tells Inner City Press “Nothing Further to Say,” Hypocrisy Call from Haiti, Lawsuits in the Wings

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 --After UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon belatedly responded late Friday to the May 30 letter from 19 members of the US Congress urging him to take responsibility for the UN introducing cholera into Haiti, Inner City Press put the letter online and wrote about it Saturday and Sunday.

  At Monday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson Martin Nesirky to respond to those who see a major contradiction between the claim to care so much for Haiti while denying all legal claims of having introduced cholera.

“I don't have anything further on that topic today,” Nesirky replied. Video here, from Minute 23:30.

  But Mario Joseph of the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux, lead counsel for the 5000 victims and families who filed claims against the UN in November 2011, does have a response: ““The hypocrisy of the UN’s position is clear to the victims of UN cholera and everyone else in Haiti. The UN claims a mission of promoting the rule of law, and regularly lectures Haitian citizens and officials about the need to submit to the law. Yet the UN will not even explain why it is not subject to its own laws.”

  Inner City Press has asked the UN mission MINUSTAH when its radio station MinustahFM will belatedly cover Ban Ki-moon's response to the Congress members, so far without response.

  The UN is not responsive, particularly but not only its peacekeeping missions under Herve Ladsous who outright refuses to answer Press questions, see video compilation here.

  Brian Concannon of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, who is co-counsel on the case, had this response: “We now have no choice but to take the UN to court to stop cholera’s killing and seek justice for victims and their families. The cholera victims, the U.S. Congress and the taxpayers around the world who fund the UN all deserve better.”

  While while Haiti cholera may be the worst example in recent years, there are other saying that of this UN as well. This is a new low. 

The 19 members of Congress who wrote to Ban Ki-moon include: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Yvette D. Clarke, Frederica S. Wilson, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Alcee L. Hastings, Charles B. Rangel, Corrine Brown, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bobby L. Rush, Wm. Lacy Clay, Raúl M. Grijalva, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Gregory W. Meeks, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison and Carolyn B. Maloney.

Watch this site.

  

On Haiti Cholera, UN's Friday-Dumped Letter Implies That Dumping Sewage in Rivers Is UN Peacekeeping's Policy

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 6 -- Here's how this UN does business: its Department of Peacekeeping Operations dumps raw sewage into a river in Haiti introducing cholera.

  When Pressed, it responded at 6 pm on a Friday in July, whispered into its intercom system that a letter responding to 19 members of the US Congress is available downstairs in an office about to close for the weekend, in hard copy only.

  Based on the timing and lassitude, only Inner City Press which asked about the Congressional letter back on June 3, then on July 2 (to Acting Permanent Representative Rosemary DiCarlo of the US Mission to the UN) and July 5and one other media went and got the letter and reported on it, at least in English. 

  The UN's goal? To dump and bury the news or make heroes out of itself and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, said to “Vow to Fight Cholera” and “Assure Help to Haiti.”

  Actually, the letter said again that the legal claims for those thousands killed by introduction of cholera into Haiti were “not receivable.” Copy of Ban's letter put online by Inner City Press here.  A portion - with the most troubling lines not included -- was sent to plaintiffs' counsel by Ban's outgoing lawyer Patricia O'Brien, here.

  The argument when unpacked is that the UN's “policies,” like its medical protocol of not screening the peacekeepers its sends to fragile countries like Haiti, even if from cholera hotspots in Nepal, are immune from review by courts.

  But the July 5 letter is essentially saying that the dumping of raw sewage into rivers is ALSO the policy of the UN, or at least of its Department of Peacekeeping Operations, led by its fourth Frenchman in a row, Herve Ladsous. Only policies are immune: so was or is this the UN's policy? We'll have more on this. 

The 19 members of Congress who wrote to Ban Ki-moon include: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Yvette D. Clarke, Frederica S. Wilson, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Alcee L. Hastings, Charles B. Rangel, Corrine Brown, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bobby L. Rush, Wm. Lacy Clay, Raúl M. Grijalva, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Gregory W. Meeks, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison and Carolyn B. Maloney.

 Watch this site.

  

After Denying Claims UN Brought Cholera to Haiti, Ban Ki-moon Belatedly Replies to 19 in US Congress

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 5 -- After the UN introduced cholera to Haiti and then dismissed claims for legal accountability, 19 members of the US Congress wrote to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on May 30 urging him to take responsibility.

Inner City Press wrote about the letter and put it online on June 1, and asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky about it on June 3, transcript here. Nesirky said he had no comment on the letter but if he had anything later, he'd tell Inner City Press.

A full month later on July 2, having hear nothing, Inner City Press asked US Acting Permanent Representative Rosemary DiCarlo about the letter. She said she hadn't seen it; later one of her spokespeople Kurtis Cooper told Inner City Press, on the letter, to ask the UN.

On Friday July 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq, who said the letter “will be responded to.” Video here, from Minute 15:20.

 Inner City Press followed up, you mean it hasn't been, yet?

Past 5 pm on Friday, Ban's Spokesperson's Office announced over the UN internal “squawk” system that a copy of Ban's response was available downstairs. And there it was: a three page “Dear Congresswoman” letter dated July 5, 2013.

   Inner City Press has scanned the letter, initially as a photo of each page:Page 1  Page 2  Page 3

Now as PDFs: Page 1   Page 2  Page 3

Finally, the belated UN version all in one PDF, Inner City Press is putting it online here.

  It concludes that on accountability, “the claim was considered by my Legal Counsel [Patricia O'Brien] and... the claim is not receivable.”

Ban then says, “I would like to assure you that the legal decision does not in any way diminish my personal commitment.” Really? 

The 19 members of Congress who wrote to Ban Ki-moon include: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Yvette D. Clarke, Frederica S. Wilson, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Alcee L. Hastings, Charles B. Rangel, Corrine Brown, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bobby L. Rush, Wm. Lacy Clay, Raúl M. Grijalva, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Gregory W. Meeks, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison and Carolyn B. Maloney.

Watch this site.

  

After UN Tells Inner City Press of Its "Yeoman Work" in Haiti, 19 in US Congress Write to Ban Ki-moon to Differ on Cholera

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- The UN brought cholera to Haiti, denied all legal claims and now refuses questions. On May 29, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey told Inner City Press that in Haiti the UN is doing "yeoman's work."

Minutes before, Ban's chief of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous had explicitly refused to answer Inner City Press' questions about the UN's misdeeds, video here.

  But Del Buey insisted that "the media who have been briefed by [UN envoy] Nigel Fisher seem to think that we are doing quite a bit." And it's those compliant media whom Ladsous invites to private "conversation" about peacekeeping.

   Now 19 members of the US Congress have written to Ban Ki-moon about his non-response to the 5000 legal claims by victims of the UN Peacekeeping bringing cholera into Haiti. 

  Since UN Peacekeeping boss Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to hold the post, won't answer, we'll have to ask Ban's spokesperson's office. They didn't believe Doctors Without Borders - but will they respond to these US Congress members as they jump to the tune of some others?

  The letter concluded, "We therefore urge you to use your office and your influence to ensure that the United Nations takes responsibility for the introduction of cholera into Haiti... and we look forward to your response."

Here's from the UN's May 29 noon briefing transcript:

Inner City Press: the Secretary-General announced this big plan for Haiti for cholera, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And recently, Médecins Sans Frontières, a pretty respected medical group, has said that the program has had absolutely no effect on the ground, they have been very critical of it. Mr. McLean, on the record, has said he has gone back and forth and has seen absolutely zero follow-through from the UN. What’s the UN’s response, to the legal claims of the people that got cholera, and that the other programme that was announced has had no effect? And, I also wanted to ask you, you just witnessed Mr. Ladsous refusing to answer on the Minova rape follow-up. I wanted to know, is this acceptable to the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesperson: Matthew, we’re not going to get involved in your particular problem with Ladsous.

Inner City Press: It’s not a particular problem; he works for Ban Ki-moon.

Deputy Spokesperson: With respect to Haiti… with respect to Haiti, MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] is doing yeoman’s work in trying to bring fresh water, in trying to bring new latrines and trying to bring water purification systems and bringing cholera vaccinations to people. I have seen the reports; we don’t believe the reports. We believe our people. And we know that Nigel Fisher in Haiti has been briefing the media, and that the media who have been briefed by Nigel Fisher seem to think that we are doing quite a bit.

Inner City Press: MSF is just wrong on this?

Deputy Spokesperson: Sorry?

Inner City Press: They, MSF, Médecins Sans Frontières, is wrong? They are just…?

Deputy Spokesperson: I’m not going to comment on what Médecins Sans Frontières has; everyone has their own point of view, and our point of view, we’re doing an awful lot to mitigate the effects of cholera in Haiti.

Inner City Press: Will the Secretary-General…?

Deputy Spokesperson: One more question.

Inner City Press: Would Secretary-General accept Mr. Ladsous not answering any questions about Haiti? Just for example, I’m asking you.

Deputy Spokesperson: Matthew, have a good afternoon, thank you.

  The UN's Department of Public Information, currently intent along with some of the compliant media cited above oneliminating media workspace in front of the UN Security Council that has exists for years, in the transcript above"cleaned up" at least two statements by Ban's spokesman Del Buey.

  Del Buey called the issue of Ladsous refusing to answer "personal," not "particular" as later inserted. And Del Buey initially called Nigel Fischer Mr Nigel "Farmer." If it's fine to clean up the second mis-statement, why leave in all kind of "ah's" and pauses in the questions, to try to make them illegible? This is today's UN. Watch this site.

The 19 members of Congress who wrote to Ban Ki-moon include: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Yvette D. Clarke, Frederica S. Wilson, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Alcee L. Hastings, Charles B. Rangel, Corrine Brown, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bobby L. Rush, Wm. Lacy Clay, Raúl M. Grijalva, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Gregory W. Meeks, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison and Carolyn B. Maloney.