Exclusive: Amid Race to Replace Amos Atop UN OCHA, UK's Iraq SRSG Gambit Said Rejected, So UK 3 v. UAE, Germany, Italy

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Follow Up

UNITED NATIONS, January 26, more here, Video I here-- Minutes after the UN announced on November 26  the departure of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs chief Baroness Valerie Amos, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq if the vacancy would be advertised for candidates from all countries, or if it is set aside for Amos' United Kingdom.

 Now it appears the UK may be preparing itself -- unsuccessfully so far -- for the real possibility of losing the OCHA post. Multiple sources on January 26 told Inner City Press that the UK has sought to take over the Iraq UN Special Representative of the Secretary General post currently held by Nickolay Mladenov. 

  This was interpreted as related to the UK seeing the OCHA post going to another candidate, whether from Germany (Martin Kobler), Italy, the UAE or elsewhere.

  But, sources on the UN's 38th floor tell Inner City Press, the answer to the UK successor to Mladenov in Iraq has been "no."

 Inner City Press asked the UK mission for comment on both -- "the UK proposed nominee to succeed Nickolay Mladenov as SRSG in Iraq / UNAMI, and separately how this might be related to the competition to replace Valerie Amos atop OCHA" -- and had been told "Senior appointments are subject to open competition and are the decision of the Secretary-General."

  Inner City Press is informed by multiple sources that it was directly to the Secretary General's office on the 38th floor that the kibosh was put on UK nominee for UNAMI in Iraq.

 (Another no: On January 16, Inner City Press asked, will the aid groups OCHA works with play any role in the review? Video II here.)

  Back on January 9, Inner City Press exclusively reported that the UK after first submitting only the name of Andrew Lansley has added too more, scarcely more qualified. 

   And, significantly, the Italy had nominated Emma Bonino, sources exclusively told Inner City Press, and Germany nominated Martin Kobler, currently the head of the UN's Mission in the Congo.

  On January 14, Inner City Press was informed by sources of another candidate, a minister from the United Arab Emirates, Lubna Khalid Al Qasimi, a member of the ruling family of Sharjah. The UAE has, it is noted,, the "Humanitarian City." And the UAE did give $1 million to OCHA's CERF last month.

   Bonino is well regarded in international circles -- one source said she is "too strong a character" for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to choose, another notes, sadly, health concerns -- and Kobler after Iraq has his experience in the Congo, for better and worse. Either is more experience than the UK troika.

  Beyond Lansley, whose qualification is a brief visit to UN health conferences, the other UK candidates sources tell Inner City Press are Caroline Spelman and Stephen O'Brien.  

  On January 17, Inner City Press asked Ban's lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, transcript here:

Inner City Press: On the OCHA recruitment process to find the new person, I've been informed that the UK has submitted two additional names to make a total of three, that Italy, Germany and UAE have also put forward names and I'm sure others.  So, is it a wide open process?  Have other countries submitted more than one?  Is it still a matter of looking, giving in the first instance a look to the UK of those three names? What of the request by a number of highly respected humanitarian NGOs [non-governmental organizations] that the inter-agency standing committee, i.e. these NGOs that are outside of the UN system, be given some role in the review process?  And I wanted to know what’s the response of the Secretary to that request.

Spokesman Dujarric: Obviously, the recruitment process has been to get the best possible person.  Not for the first time, you seem to have more information than I do.  I have to say, we will not go into the details of the recruitment process.  As we said earlier, a call went out for names, for candidates.  A recruitment process is ongoing but the Secretary-General is solely responsible and it is being done under his authority.

Inner City Press:  In previous cases, even when there's no short list given out, there's a review panel, and I guess the request… since it's been made semi-publicly in a petition, especially for a job that involves providing aid in conjunction with NGOs all over the world--

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think the Secretary-General and his senior staff are well aware of what the job implies.  And one could argue that every senior job in the UN involves working with outside partners.  The recruitment is being handled by the Secretary-General and his staff.
 
  So... no. Another no.

  Could the UK really lose this Under Secretary General post? It's looking more likely. If Kobler were chosen, would fellow German Angela Kane have to leave? We'll have more on this.

   

From Iraq, UN Envoy Mladenov Downplays Kurdish Push for Independence, Tells Iner City Press Balad Airbase Held by Government

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 25 -- When the UN's Iraq envoy Nickolay Mladenov took questions by video from UNAMI Baghdad on June 25, Inner City Press asked him about independence for Kurdistan, and if ISIL might take over the Balad airbase and with it, an air force.

On the Balad air base, Mladenov said the government is still in control and will invest whatever is necessary to hold onto it.

Mladenov claimed that in Erbil and Baghdad “there is a realization that cooperation must be restored” to fight ISIL. He referred to “emotional talk” in both cities or regions.

Meanwhile militia spokesman Abu Waris Musawi said “we have rockets capable of reaching the center of Erbil city,” on al-Anwar TV on June 22.

Jabbar Yawar, secretary general of the Peshmerga ministry, replied “we do not listen to these threats and the Kurdistan Regional Government has its own strategy for protecting the Kurdistan Region.”

With US Secretary of State John Kerry in Erbil on June 24, at the US State Department briefing, the deputy spokesperson was asked why the US doesn't provide arms to the Kurdish peshmerga, transcript here. We'll have more on this.

   

UN Peacekeeping in DR Congo, Kobler Under Ladsous, Won't Explain French Colonial Domination, FrancAfrique

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 6 -- If the UN Security Council had gone on a trip to Iraq to visit "its" UNAMI peacekeeping mission, would the United States have been allowed to alone hand-pick which media could go on the UN plane and cover the trip?

That is what was allowed to happen on the Security Council's current trip to Africa. The UN has admitted, on camera, that France was allowed to pick which media would fly in the UN plane, from Kinshasa to Goma to Kigali to Entebbe to Addis Ababa.

  Thus the UN (and its Security Council) have enshrined FranceAfrique, and colonialism. How can it be justified?

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky cut off the question, telling Inner City Press that the other correspondents in the room didn't care to hear about Inner City Press' travel arrangements, or lack thereof. Video here. 

  So Inner City Press has put the question to Martin Kobler, the UN's top envoy in the Council trip's first stop, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As luck would have it, Kobler was previously the top envoy in Iraq. Would he have accepted a "Security Council" trip with media hand picked only by the US?

  But Kobler hasn't answered. Nor has his MONUSCO provided any transcript of what its Dee Brillenburg Wurth "told reporters," about M23 child soldiers coming from and being trained by Rwanda, and the DRC being blameless. (See hand-picked Reuters piece here.)

   Kobler tweeted that his head of office in Goma Ray Torres was updating the Council about negotiations involving Mai Mai Cheka, sanctioned for mass rape. No clarification, or transcript, has been provided. Will it now, that France's Genocide Joyride has moved to to Rwanda?

  A press conference was held at the Goma airport; Kobler tweeted a photograph but hasn't answered why France was allowed to pick the journalists to cover the trip. The UN's Radio Okapi, during the Goma press conference, was broadcasting... sports. Call it bread and circuses.

  So is the UN, or at least UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to head DPKO, a vehicle for neo-colonialism? Is this, as some now say, just France's Genocide Joyride? It seems these questions should be answered. Watch this site.

   

As UN Plays Musical Chairs in the Congo, Anti-Rwanda Experts, Mis-Use of Reports at Human Rights Council, Hege

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 -- Sometimes the UN plays musical chairs; sometimes it allows post-holders to abuse the system to try to keep their positions and discredit their critics. 

  Sometimes, as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN is engaged at cross-purposes in both at the same time.

  Today Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky announced that Martin Kobler, Ban's envoy in Iraq, will be moving to Kinshasa to replace Roger Meece as head of the MONUSCO mission there.

  By any objective measure, Meece has been a failure. The DRC slid back into conflict under his tenure; the UN partners with Congolese army units which then engaged in mass rape in Minova.

  Despite a stated zero tolerance and human rights due diligence policy, the UN has not suspended support to these units, the 391st and 41st Battalions. Nor has the UN provided the Minova rape accountability update Inner City Press asked for on May 29 (video here) and May 30.

  Can Kobler do better? Could he do worse? 

  Meanwhile on June 10 at the UN, Inner City Press asked Nesirky to confirm that Ban's Dublin-based Great Lakes envoy Mary Robinson has taken on as an adviser on Frederico Borello, author of several anti-Rwanda articles similar to those of former sanctions Group of Experts coordinator Steve Hege. 

  Nesirky said he would check with the Department of Political Affairs.

  Hege used his final report to take shots at some of those who criticized his objectivity, even naming them in his report. To many that seemed like an abuse.

Footnote: now Hege's pot-shots have been echoed in Geneva, where the Special Rapporteur on Palestine has in his report, debated today in the Human Rights Council, denounced a

"series of defamatory attacks demeaning his character, repeatedly distorting his views on potentially inflammatory issues. This smear campaign has been carried out in numerous settings, including at the Human Rights Council, as well as university venues where the Special Rapporteur gives lectures in his personal capacity on subjects unrelated to the mandate. The lobby groups’ smears have been sent to diplomats and United Nations officials, including the Secretary-General, who has apparently accepted the allegations at face value, issuing public criticism of the Special Rapporteur."

  Should a UN Special Rapporteur, even if (mis) described as "honorary," or the coordinator of a sanctions Group of Experts, use a UN report to denounce his or her critics, and as here try to get them dis-accredited? The closed-in world of the UN need more, not fewer, voices. Watch this site.

Amid Iraq Carnage, UN's Website of Casualties Remains Unavailable As In Sri Lanka & Darfur

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, February 9 – In Iraq there is a dispute about how many people were killed in the Katyusha rocket attack on Camp Liberty.

  The residents say six were killed, and have provided Inner City Press with names: Mehdi Abed, Mostafa Khosravi, Akbar Azizi, Yaha Nazari, Hadi Shafiee and Ms. Pouran Najafi.

  Iraqi authorities counter that only one person was killed, and that they cannot stop and are not responsible to stop the rocket attacks.

  As to how many were killed, in this and the many other attacks and suicide bombings throughout Iraq, one would expect the UN to have something to say. They have a mission in Iraq, UNAMI, and they have a website.

  But as pointed out this morning to Inner City Press by an intrepid reporter, the UN's “Attacks and Casualties in Iraq” website has for months been blank except for one line: “This website is temporarily unavailable.”

  That the UN is technologically incompetent and ham-handed is clear. In New York during Hurricane Sandy, the UN could not even send an e-mail to its member states.

  Yesterday February 8, the UN cut off its UNTV webcast just as Inner City Press pursued a question about Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's lack of fairness and transparency in favoring the UN Correspondents Association, which has tried to get the investigative Press thown out of the UN, and now mocks an alleged victim of sexual harassment through an anonymous social media account.

  The UN's non-reporting of casualties in Iraq, however, is part of a larger pattern. In Darfur, its UNAMID mission costing over $1 billion a year stopped many forms of reporting. UN partisans blame this on the African Union, the UN's partner in UNAMID.

   But in Sri Lanka in 2009, as exposed by Inner City Press, the UN actively concealed the death figures, nearly entirely of Tamils, compiled by its own Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

  When Inner City Press, holding up a leaked copy of the OCHA report, asked why it had been buried, Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson replied that the UN doesn't count killings, it tries to stop them.

  The UN is not going a good job at either. It's time for the UN to end the “temporary unavailability” of its “Attacks and Casualties in Iraq” website. Where is envoy Martin Kobler on this? Watch this site.

After UN Denial, Boumedra Tells ICP Kobler Chose Photos, Dropped Inquiry

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 24 -- Two days ago the UN was asked by Inner City Press about the statement by former UN Mission in Iraq human rights officer TaharBoumedra that current Special Representative of the Secretary General in Iraq Martin Kobler told him to only send out "positive photographs" and to "falsify reports" about Camp Ashraf.

  

Yesterday the UN denied it.

  

 Now, Mr. Boumedra has provided more detail to Inner City Press.

   In a 12 paragraph statement to Inner City Press, below, Boumedra specifies that it was the December 2011 photographs that Kobler cherry-picked, and Boumedra states that Kobler repeatedly told him that the residents of the camp were "terrorists."

   Boumedra says that a UN shelter specialists was pressured into declaring the facilities adequate. He says that a Memorandum of Understanding was watered down to drop reference to human rights law, and that Kobler stopped pushing for an inquiry into killings in the camp in early 2011.

  Back on August 22, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky about Boumedra's claim that he was ordered to only take photographs of the positive things and essentially file inaccurate reports: "I've tried to get an answer from Mr. Kobler and others. Do they deny that these orders were given?"

Nesirky replied that "it’s regrettable that such a distorted picture is being presented of the efforts of the United Nations in Iraq to resolve peacefully the situation of Camp Ashraf," then that he'd "just go back to what’s already been said, and that’s that it is a distorted picture." Video herefrom Minute 46.

  

 But, Inner City Press asked, what is the UN saying is distorted: the picture of conditions in the camp, or the claim that a UN official, previously in charge of human rights, was told to "doctor" reports?

  On August 23, the UN provided a more direct denial, which Inner City Press immediately added as an update, that

"Matthew, You asked specifically about allegations by a former staff member of misleading use of photos or 'doctoring' of reports in connection with the work of the UN on Camp Ashraf. We would like to state very clearly that such allegations are false."

  Inner City Press published the UN's denial, but subsequently received a direct reply from Boumedra:

Date: Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 7:29 PM
From: Tahar Boumedra
To: Inner City Press

I hereby reiterate and confirm:

1. That SRSG has instructed us to doctor the photos taken in December 2011 for the purpose of convincing Ashraf residents that Camp liberty meets international standards. A large number of UNAMI staff were involved in this operation under the lead of the UNAMI Public Information Office.

2. Together with PIO, HRO, Military advisors, photos were taken and the SRSG in person made the selection.

3. I was the person who delivered the SRSG message to the Ashrafis in December 2011. The message was written by the SRSG himself. It was written to basically say it is all well in 

Camp Liberty and you must trust me.

4. SRSG repeatedly said to the residents of Ashraf and their representatives in Paris that he will never sign any document on the relocation without the agreement of the Ashrafis then he signed despite of the protest of Ashrafis and their leadership.

5. SRSG repeatedly said he is an impartial facilitator, yet he deals with the residents on the presumption that they are guilty of terrorism. Whenever I raised concern about the residents fundamental human rights, he reminds me that they are terrorists.

6. A shelter specialist was brought in, to certify that Camp Liberty meets international standards because the UNHCR wouldn't do it. The SRSG reminded him on a daily basis that he is there to certify. When the specialist refused to certify, an agreed ambiguous text was issues by the SRSG saying the infrastructure of CL meets the needs of the population of Ashraf.

7. Earlier drafts of the MOU had a preamble stating the purpose of the relocation and making reference to international law, human rights law and Iraqi international obligations. The Government of Iraq (GoI) refused such reference. We compromised on the instruction of the SRSG by removing the MOU preamble and inserted a clause to the effect that GoI will not recognize the outcome of the UNHCR refugee status determination process without the knowledge of the Ashrafis and the diplomatic community.

8. The Iraqi authorities declared openly that we will make their life "unbearable" to compel them to leave Iraq. National Security Adviser say openly and repeatedly that GoI will not observe UN human rights and humanitarian standards in relation to the Ashraf residents. UNAMI reports to the SG and the SC that the GOI is treating the Ashrafis humanely and is upholding its international obligations.

9. On 15 April 2011, UNAMI under the leadership of Former SRSG Ad Melkert and the HCHR issued a statement requesting the GoI to establish an independent commission of inquiry to probe into the killing of 36 Ashrafis. Throughout this relocation process, SRSG Kobler had never mentioned the establishment of the commission of inquiry for fear of upsetting PM Maliki. Yet we report that GoI is meeting its international obligations.

10. The diplomatic community, lawyers, MEPs, MPs, NGOs are banned from visiting both Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty, except Consular visits (visits to nationals and affiliated residents). This an indication that things are not as positive as SRSG Kobler wants to present them. Yet we do not hear any protest from the diplomatic community . While SRSG reports that there are visits of diplomats.

11. Ashrafis in both Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty despite the restrictions imposed on their contacts with the outside world, are providing for themselves and pay the market price. SRSG reports make it as if the GOI is providing for them and that they are getting more than the average Iraqi citizen. this misleading.

12. If the UN HQ is questioning my statements or have doubts about them, I invite them to send an independent person or persons to investigate and look into the real objectives of the relocation plan. I worn that the objectives are more cynical than what has been reported.

Tahar Boumedra

   So, Boumedra now specifies that it was the December 2011 photographs that Kobler cherry-picked, and states that Kobler repeatedly told him that the residents of the camp were "terrorists." 

  He says that a UN shelter specialists was pressured into declaring the facilities adequate. He says that a Memorandum of Understanding was watered down to drop reference to human rights law, and that Kobler stopped pushing for an inquiry into killings in the camp in early 2011.

   What does the UN say? Watch this site.

UN Iraq Envoy Now Acknowledges PMC Use, Ladsous Stonewall Contrasted

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 29 -- Among high UN officials and envoy, there are wide differences in openness to questions, commitment to veracity, and accountability. The UN can only improve if there is accountability for these very differences.

  On the positive side of the spectrum is Martin Kobler, head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. 

  Even before Kobler's July 19 appearance at the UN Security Council and stakeout, Inner City Press had favorably compared the way he decided on and described budget cuts in UNAMI with the Afghanistan mission's lack of transparency, such as moving of favored international staff to Kuwait as a cost-cut.

   But when Kobler on July 19 told Inner City Press that his mission does not use private military contractors other than for dogs, Inner City Press differed in writing, in that day's article and in follow up questions.

  Inner City Press noted for example the Hart Security contract, for $1.1 million, appears to have been signed in August 2011, for "Provision of Security Awareness Induction Training," for a cost of $3,500 per staff member. Here are some budget lines:

HART SECURITY LIMITED    CYP    Training, other    $437,444    11AMI-20387    UNAMI

HART SECURITY LIMITED    CYP    AMI/CON/2011/041   Provision of Security Awareness Induction Training Training(SAIT) for UNAMI    1-Aug-11    31-Jul-12    $1,143,682    UNAMI

  This last runs (at least) through July 31, 2012 - still in force. Inner City Press wrote: We hope to hear more on this.

  Then on Sunday July 29,we did. The following came in:

Subject: message from SRSG Martin Kobler, UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
Date: Sun, Jul 29, 2012 at 12:44 PM
From: Anne Czichos [at] un.org
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Dear Mr. Lee,

Thank you very much for your interest in the work of the United Nations in Iraq.

As a follow-up to the media stakeout after the Security Council session on Thursday, 19 July, I would like to apologize for not fully answering your question regarding UNAMI's use of private security companies.

I would like to add that UNAMI is spending approximately USD 1.73 million in 2012 on static security provided by private security companies in Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait. The contract for the SAIT training, which is conducted by a private security company, is for up to USD 1,182,771.50 in 2012.

Sincerely,

Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq

 This commendable approach stands in stark contrast to a few other envoy, but most notably to Department of Peacekeeping Operations chief Herve Ladsous, who not only doesn't provide accurate answers -- he provides no answers at all.

 On May 29 and again since, Ladsous had openly said he will not take or answer any Inner City Press questions, for the same type of close and critical coverage that Kobler responded to with an update.

 One would think it obvious, that publicly-paid UN officials would acknowledge a duty to even handedly answer questions, and to provide updates when necessary. But Ladsous and some of the envoys he has "reached" take an opposite approach.

  The UN can only improve it is admits when it is wrong. Under Ladsous' approach, not only will the UN not improve: it is in precipitous decline. Should the Department of Political Affairs, which is over UNAMI, begin to oversee the other peacekeeping operations, so that Ladsous' approach does not spread? Watch this site.