On KFC, UN's Treki "Is Not An Admirer" of Fried Chicken, No Answers on Invite

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un3kfcgate110609.html

UNITED NATIONS, November 6 -- The President of the UN General Assembly Ali Treki of Libya, whose photo op with KFC's impersonator of Colonel Sanders had led so far to the suspension of two UN Security officers, one of them a thirty year veteran, was asked by Inner City Press on Friday if anyone in his office invited the Colonel in, and if he views the suspension as appropriate.

"I don't know the man," Treki responded, in reference to Colonel Sanders. "I personally don't consumer fried chicken very often. I am not an admirer of him." Video here, from Minute 19:25.

The response, which made nearly all in the press room laugh while to some seeming pre-scripted, may undercut in some circle the advertising value of the photo op to KFC and its parent Yum! Brands. (They might point out that they seek a "seat at the UN" for KFC's grilled chicken, not fried.)

But Treki did not answer whether a member of Treki's staff, reportedly his daughter, invited the Colonel Sanders impersonator up to the UN's second floor, where he took photos at the Security Council stakeout as well. And Officers Rodriguez and Herring, the latter a 30 year veteran who has flown with Security Council Ambassadors from the U.S., China, Russia, France and the UK to trip in Africa and elsewhere, remain suspended.

Concerns are being raised about the suspension's possible effect on Herring's pension. In short, the answer was funny, but the scapegoating is not. Watch this site.

Footnote: Another UN stakeout snafu took place on the evening of November 5, when after Treki spoke at the General Assembly stakeout, a representative of an NGO did, and then was escorted from the premises and had her UN identification pass revoked, click here for Inner City Press' story.

At Friday's press conference, about the Goldstone report vote Inner City Press asked Treki why the resolution does not mention Hamas by name. Treki referred to Egypt's response, that Hamas was elected and will investigate itself. Video here, from Minute 18:12. On all these fronts, we'll see.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un3kfcgate110609.html

At UN, Col. Sanders of KFC Promotes Chicken As UN's Laxity on Corporations Discussed

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1kfc102209.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 22, follow up here -- At the UN Security Council stakeout on Thursday, Kentucky Fried Chicken was promoted by a visitor to the UN dressed up as KFC figurehead Colonel Sanders. As the Security Council discussed, among other things, the plight of refugees from Darfur in camps in Eastern Chad, KFC's Sanders stood before the flags of the 15 Council members, at the UN microphone.

Ironically, just next to the Security Council in the UN's briefing room, the UN's expert on transnational corporation and Human Rights John Ruggie explained his mandate to the Press. Inner City Press asked why the UN is so soft on corporation, through its UN Global Compact, including Deutsche Bank which holds the funds of Turkmenistan's dictators and Nestle which is reported to be involved in the production of chocolate by children trafficked from Mali into Ivory Coast.

One might have added KFC, whose Col. Sanders as one wag joked bitterly may have killed, through heart congestion and attacks, as many people as some of those indicted by the International Criminal Court, despite not being a military and therefore not a war criminal despite the Colonel in his name. The wag imagined a sign board or campaign, "Send KFC to the ICC."

Inner City Press has asked the Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to provide information on how the KFC Colonel Sanders impersonator was allowed into the UN, and to the Security Council stakeout area, from which even UN staff members are often prohibited.

"Maybe they got observer status -- why not KFC, if they gave it to IOC?" asked the wag, referring to the International Olympics Committee, which joined the Holy See and Palestine in UN Observer Status this week. Watch this site.

Update of Thursday evening: Despite the Office of the Spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon being asked about KFC's presence in the UN at the stakeout both at the noon briefing and, again, by Inner City Press just after, no explanation was received, nor yet to these submitted questions:

1. Did any United Nations staff person facilitate the entry into the HQ of a character portraying "Colonel Sanders" on Thursday Oct 22nd?

2. Did KFC, its parent YUM! Brands, or its PR agency Weber Shandwick solicit and receive permission from the United Nations to use the the Secretary-General's and/or the UN's name in its corporate press release and advertising campaign?

3. Has the Secretary-General received the letter cited in KFC's corporate press release and advertising campaign?

4. Will the UN's Office of Legal Affairs take steps to inform YUM! Brands or its agents that it is misusing the UN's name, in violation of applicable General Assembly resolutions?

5. Has the UN's Office of Legal Affairs previously given permission to YUM! Brands or its agents to use the UN's name in other advertising materials?

6. Does the UN think that the UN Security Council should be used as a backdrop for the sale of grilled chicken?

Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1kfc102209.html