REVIEW: Kofi Annan Memoir Downplays Oil for Food, Congo and Corruption, Ignores Western Sahara

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- There is a telling omission, among many, in Kofi Annan's 2012 memoir "Interventions." 

  The Oil for Food scandal is addressed, how ever self-servingly, in five page -- Benon Sevan, who is still on the lam, is not mentioned. Western Sahara, where the UN has had a peacekeeping if not referendum mission since before Annan came to head the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, is not mentioned at all.

   The Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which the UN has had its largest and longest running peacekeeping operation, barely figure in the book, except when Annan praises Jacques Chirac to sending French soldiers into Ituri as Operation Artemis. All four UN Peacekeeping chiefs since Annan have been from France, with the current boss Herve Ladsous refusing to answer any Press questions. On this, Annan was better than his successor(s).

   Virtually nowhere in Annan's book are UN scandals or the need to reform mentioned. Annan mentions and thanks his top lawyer Nicolas Michel -- without any mention that he violated Article 100 of the UN Charter by having the Swiss government pay for his palatial Manhattan apartment while ostensibly working only for the UN.

   Annan mentions Martin Griffiths helping him, without noting that he left his employment in Geneva after money went missing under his watch. Alan Doss, who pushed UNDP to hire his daughter -- and did nothing while the person whose job was taken for this nepotism was prosecuted in US courts -- does not appear in the book (butdid appear, at least until noted, on Annan's Syria "dream team").  UN official Angela Kane is thanked -- as "Angela King" (Page xiii).

  There is something regal in Annan's retelling of events. Even of the Rwandan genocide, he quotes President Paul Kagame that "he did not trust Daillaire's [sic] ability to protect him when he made official visits to the UN field headquarters" (Page 53).

   Annan claims that he established with the International Monetary Fund "an unprecedented level of cooperation" (Page 221). But even now, the UN's ECOSOC and other bodies are subservient to and sometimes ignored by the IMF.

   The failure to reform the UN he blames on developing world ambassadors like Munir Akram of Pakistan, writing that Akram was "typical" in that he "routinely claimed to have 'very strong instructions' but could then change those instructions if needed" (Pages 146-7).

   Amid all this some good work is quietly done: by Department of Political Affairs officials like Craig Jenness (page 196) and Anna Tibaijuka.

   Ban Ki-moon appears only twice in the book: asking Annan to deal with post-election violence in Kenya, then in connection with Annan's failed Syria mediation which is now a selling point for the book.

   Ironically, despite Ban's spokesperson's office's denials orstonewalling when Inner City Press first asked about it, having heard bragging at Singapore's mission to the UN, Ban has already collaborated on a book -- watch this site.

As Brahimi Plays Nobel Lotto, Questions of Algeria Bombing, Annan Holdovers

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 17 -- With 78 year told Lakhdar Brahimi gearing up to replace Kofi Annan as Syria envoy or Representative on September 1, there are obvious questions about whether he will keep in place the team of "Seven Million Dollar Man" Annan.

  As Inner City Press exclusively reported, Annan brought on people associated with his Kofi Annan Foundation such as Alan Doss, who was then described by Annan spokesman Ahmad Fawzi as being in his "toolbox" of consultants, and Martin Griffiths, under whose leadership the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva suffered a financial scandal.

  As well placed UN sources pointed out to Inner City Press, Griffiths could not have been hired by the UN, but received a UN-funded six month contract for Kofi Annan's term. And now?

  Brahimi on Friday gave what was described as his first interview as Joint Special Representative (designate) to French state media France 24, seemingly not calculated to bridge the gap with Russia and China on a day that another French (largely) state media characterized the Western P3 members of the Security Council and at least three of our Arab invitees as "boycotting" Russia's hastily scheduled Action Group meeting at the UN.

  Another lens through which to view or review Lakhdar Brahimi was his 2008 mandate to investigate the killing of UN staff in Algiers.  On February 28, 2008 Brahimi told Inner City Press, "the UN doesn't have to be in every single place."

  Inner City Press had asked UN Development Program's Administrator Kemal Dervis about UNDP's Mark de Bernis' failure to get action on security threats that mounts throughout 2007. Dervis defended UNDP by saying that it asked Algeria for help in blocking off the street, but that there was no response. So Inner City Press asked Brahimi, former Algerian foreign minister, about this. "I have heard that," he said. "We will look into that... whether Algerians were over-confident, or UNDP."

  But the question was never answered. Now Brahimi plays Nobel Peace Prize lotto with Syria. Will there be more follow through this time? Timing is everything. Watch this site.

After Syria Vote, Dodging on Ahtisaari & Water-Down, Stonewall on Annan's Team

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 3, updated -- After the watered down Saudi resolution on Syria was adopted by the UN General Assembly with 133 in favor, 31 abstaining and 12 against, Inner City Press put the same two questions to the Permanent Representatives of the UK, France, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

 The first question concerned why the resolution was watered down to drop explicit references to Assad stepping down and urging states to join in the Arab League sanctions on Syria. 

   The second question, uniformly dodged, was for comment on the possibility of Martti Ahtisaari replacing Kofi Annan as Syria envoy.  As Inner City Press tweeted early Friday morning, given Russia's position on Ahtisaari's Kosovo work, he seems unlikely.

Update: And Friday at 3:25 pm, Inner City Press asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Ahtisaari as envoy to Syria. "No, no. He is in deep retirement," Churkin exclusively told Inner City Press.

  UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant acknowledged that changes were made, but also said that the resolution was not intended to be balanced, because the action on the ground is not balanced. He said, "in response to the comments that had been made on their initial draft that it was better to make some amendments. And I think that the result today proves that to have been correct judgement because 133 votes in favor is a colossal majority."

 He would not comment on Ahtisaari: "I'm not going to comment on possible successors." Transcript below.

  French Ambassador Araud argued that the resolution STILL calls for Assad to step down, because it "welcomes" the Arab League's decision which call for just that.

 Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative said that the resolution, even as changed, still "meets the requirements" of the Arab League. He said he wouldn't comment on the process for choosing Kofi Annan's replacement "at this stage."

  Syria's Bashar Ja'afari insisted, as Araud did, that the resolution still calls for regime change. He said Saudi Arabia is hypocritical for urging others to join Arab League sanctions while voting each year for a resolution against unilateral sanctions.

 In the GA before the vote, the Qatari President of the GA started by saying the resolution was available in the Hall, an attempt to cure having posted a link to, and emailed out, the wrong draft, which included the explicit calls for sanctions and for Assad to step down.

  At the noon briefing, Secretariat spokesman Martin Nesirky declined to explain how this had happened, telling Inner City Press maybe it thought it was always perfect, but the UN admits its mistakes.

  No, Inner City Press is NOT perfect. And when will the UN finally admit it introduced cholera to Haiti?

   In his GA speech, Ban Ki-moon thanked Kofi Annan "and his team." Inner City Press missed speeches to run to the noon briefing to ask, for the second day in a row, if from Annan's team Messrs. Al Kidwa, Ahmad Fawzi and Martin Griffiths would all be leaving.

Nesirky claimed he answered the question on August 2 -- if he did, it wasn't understood, if these individuals will stay on with Martti Ahtisaari or whomever -- then turned away from Inner City Press' follow up.

 Click here for the August 2 UN transcript, which even though it calls Inner City Press' detailed questions "inaudible," has Nesirky replying, "I've already answered that point and I said very clearly that the work of the Office of the Joint Special Envoy continues." 

   But with the same people other than Annan? With Fawzi and Kidwa? Of Griffiths we'll have more.

In introducing the resolution, the Saudi Perm Rep said Annan quit because he felt "impotent." Later, Syria's Ja'afari would say that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey arming the rebels forced Annan to quit.

Iran also took this tack, blaming Annan quitting on those Security Council members who said they'd act outside of Council process.

Ecuador said the resolution seeks to change the mandate of the Special Envoy to please some states, and ended up abstaining, as did both India and Pakistan. Serbia voted yes, perhaps the product of the new government.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Permanent Representative, who also abstained, noted a small but vibrant Syrian & Lebanese community there. One wag later characterized this as a call for tourism or refugees. And so it goes at the UN.

Annan's Syria Technical Team Led By Executive Who Quit Group CHD Amid Embezzlement Scandal

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 -- The technical team sent to Syria by Kofi Annan was led by a former UN official who was forced to resign from a Geneva-based non-governmental organization amid an embezzlement scandal, Inner City Press has learned and confirmed.

For two weeks at the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesmen refused to answer Press questions about who was on the team of Annan, Ban's predecessor as Secretary General whom Ban had name as his and the Arab League's Joint Special Envoy to Syria.

Several Annan team members visible in television footage from Cairo and Damascus were former UN officials who left the UN under a cloud of scandal. There was Alan Doss, who while the UN's top envoy to the Congo was found to have urged UNDP to break its rules and give his daughter a job.

There was Nicolas Michel, who left as the UN's top legal officer after admitting taking $12,000 a month from the Swiss government to pay for a Park Avenue apartment while employed by the UN.

After the two weeks the UN in New York announced that Alan Doss was no longer on Annan's Syria team, and Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi, himself another former UN communications official, told Inner City Press that Nicolas Michel was just a consultant, paid only when used.

But despite Annan's spokesman Fawzi being less opaque than Ban's, Inner City Press continues to receive complaints about members of Annan's team, for example Martin Griffiths who's described as in charge of the "technical team" Annan sent to Damascus.

Griffith worked for the UN then as the executive director of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD) based in Geneva, as is the Kofi Annan Foundation. Griffith was forced to resign from CHD after a CHF 3.8 million fraud was exposed in June 2010, and confirmed by KPMG.

Based on this, a well placed diplomat told Inner City Press on Wednesday, "Griffiths could never have been hired for this by the UN. But Kofi has forced him onto the team, and like the rest of them he's been given a UN contract and pay for at least six months, no matter what happens with the Syria work."

Before publication, Inner City Press sought comment from Annan's spokesman Fawzi, who to his credit responded with a not only a no-comment but also a confirmation, which still stops short of disclosing who else is on the team.

Inner City Press asked:

I am told that on the JSE team (but not known to me until today) is Martin Griffiths. I note that he resigned as executive director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue amid and in connection with an embezzlement scandal. I would like your comment on this, on deadline, including but not limited to if a reference was provided from this previous employer, and what it said.

I would also like the name of the team, certainly all those being paid with UN money, and confirmation that they are receiving six month contracts and that Mr. Guehenno is now an Assistant Secretary General, for six months. Would this remain the term whatever the outcome or duration of the Syria work?

Annan's spokesman Fawzi replied on these:

"Mr Griffiths is a highly qualified member of the JSE's team on a UN contract. I am not going to comment on his previous employer. Mr Guehenno is at the ASG level and most of us have 6-month contracts. That's it for now."

Does this last mean that the full team, at least those being paid with UN money, will soon be disclosed? We will have more on the team, and its relation to the UN. Watch this site.