At UN, Inner City Press Asks of Boko Haram's Victims' Marginalization, UNCTC's Non-Saudi Funding

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 10 -- When the Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Center Jehangir Khan took questions on February 10, Inner City Press asked him about the comparative marginalization of the victims of Boko Haram, and supported a request for information on the Center's non-Saudi funders. Video here.

  Khan, who is also the Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, said he agreed about Boko Haram; he said the issue would be addressed in the February 11 Conference on the Human Rights of Victims of Terrorism. We'll see.

Back on October 21, 2015, after a UN Security Council closed-door meeting about the victims of terrorism, Inner City Press asked two minister from Spain and victims' representatives from Spain and of Yazidis about media coverage of terrorism, specifically about threats to censor such coverage for example in Turkey.

  Pari Ibrahim of the Free Yezidi Foundation said that in fact media coverage was helpful in letting people know about the outrage or genocide that began on August 3, 2014.

   ETA victim Mari Mar Blanco praised the conviction under Spanish law of a person who tweets apologies for terrorism. But how is that defined?

    Spain's Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz said the country's laws, directed at ETA, needed to be updated for Jihadists.

  Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo said ISIS is challenging the Sykes Picot Line, is holding territory and using the West's tools to recruit. At least three of the four, maybe more, seems directed at getting Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to censor social media posts deemed helpful to ISIS. But how will that be defined? Are for some states, is that really the motive?  We'll have more on this.

   Pari Ibrahim of the Free Yezidi Foundation (pictured above) also spoke of a filing with the International Criminal Court, to go after ISIS members who are nationals of states who have joined the ICC. Spain's Margallo spoke of a second International Criminal Court, just for terrorists. But wouldn't that also require that states join, or a referral from the Security Council? We aim to have more on this too.

At UN on Terrorism, 50 Don't Join Issue, Syria Denounces Turkey, Factories Stolen and Sold by Kilo

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 15 -- Fifty speakers took on terrorism in the UN Security Council on Tuesday; outside the Council the number of journalists dwindled from three to two down to one. Inside, few of the speakers directly challenged each other.

  Israel's Permanent Representative Ron Prosor focused on Hezbollah, a "non state actor." Russia mentioned the Kavkaz Center, criticizing only indirectly Sweden for hosting the group's website.

  Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari was an exception, denouncing Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which he said is aiming to recreate an Ottoman sultanate.

  Later outside the Council, Ja'afari stressed to Inner City Press that Turkey "took 1,500 factories and even medical facilities from Aleppo" in Syria and "sold them in Turkey by the kilo." Would there be a right to reply? Qatar and Saudi Arabia were scheduled to speak, perhaps intentionally, as numbers 48 and 50 out of 50.

 Qatar as it turned out did not speak; Saudi Arabia concluded that fighting terrorism cannot justify killing civilians. (Sri Lanka Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona had left).

 There were two rights of reply: Turkey speaking briefly of its commitment to helping Syrians; Iran taking on Israel and especially Canada.

  But before then, there were many other speakers. Venezuela and Cuba zeroed in on Posada's attack on an airliner in 1976. Uganda said it was victimized by Al Shabaab in 2010, and is also faced with the LRA, and the ADF from inside the Congo.

Norway's Permanent Representative Geir O. Pedersen raised the mass shootings of July 2011.

Cote d'Ivoire, near the end, focused on Mali. Ambassador Bamba on his way in stopped to talk to Inner City Press, and invited Chad to come forward with troops. 

  When Inner City Press raised their concern that a force commander from Nigeria had been selected with no input from outside ECOWAS, Bamba said this could be addressed among the military people. We'll see. Watch this site.