In Somalia, UNMAS Admits Works with FBI, Spins Referral on African Skies Ltd, UN Spox Haq Says Bax Totally Cleared by UNOPS

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS,  April 4 -- When UN Mine Action Service director Agnès Marcaillou took questions on April 4, Inner City Press asked her about whistleblowers' complaints against the head of UNMAS in Somalia, David Bax. Video here.

 The UN told Inner City Press that its Somalia de-mining boss David Bax was fully exonerated by an investigation by the UN Office of Project Services that followed an Inner City Press exclusive expose of Bax sharing information with US intelligence through Bancroft Global Development.

  But Inner City Press later exclusively obtained a UNOPS letter to Bax that says "However, the Internal Audit and Investigations Group referred several issues to management, including your trip on an African Skies Limited flight."

  There is a problem here: as even the UN's report on mercenaries in Somalia notes, Bancroft has had a financial relationship with African Skies Limited, to provide security at the Mogadishu airport. Click here for UN report, see Paragraph 45. 

  So a favor from African Skies Limited is a favor from Bancoft, to which Bax gave information including genetic information from suicide bombs.

 On April 4, Inner City Press asked Agnès Marcaillou and UN Peacekeeping's Dmitry Titov about this UNOPS letter -- which Ms. Marcaillou told Inner City Press she had not seen.  (The whistleblower's initial complaint was also sent to UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, who never responded and refuses to answer Press questions, see videoand UK coverage.)

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, on the UN video, says to Marcaillou that UNOPS clearly said no further measures were warranted. Video at Minute 8:11.

  What then does the referral back to management of the African Skies issue mean? We'll have more on this.

   In the video, Agnès Marcaillou says that the UN works with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation -- she claims the UN trains them -- and Titov speaks of Bancroft, which numerous Somalia sources say is a company that works with US intelligence. We'll have more on this too -- for now, see this video, including Haq at the end.

  UNOPS' Paul Lucas' "Dear David" letter, dated December 9, 2013, also references sexual harassment. That involved, among other things, putting UN staff at risk by doing favors for "a girlfriend," and breaking the rules of Bax' own UNOPS camp.

The larger question is even when the UN conducts an investigation and announces a results, including case exoneration, can it be believed? On investigation into charges of gang rape by UN peacekeepers in Mali, the UN has told Inner City Press that the investigation is complete -- but not the result.

   Back on November 4, 2013, Inner City Press asked Anton Katz, Chair of the UN "Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination" about the Group's report on Somalia - and if he had met David Bax. (He had, in Cape Town.)

The report states for example that

"The Working Group was informed by UNMAS that to avoid this problem, their agreement with Bancroft requires that when conducting EOD and counter-IED operations, Bancroft employees must remain a minimum of 500 metres behind any front line. This type of rule might serve as an appropriate safeguard in other contracts as well... The Working Group notes that at least one employee of Bancroft pleaded, and was found, guilty in a South African court of, inter alia, recruiting persons for mercenary activities in Côte d’Ivoire and providing logistical support for the venture [See High Court of South Africa (Transvaal Provincial Division), case number A2850/03 of 2 and 20 May 2005 (ZAGPHC 248).]"

  Why are the UN, AMISOM and UNMAS working with Bancroft Global Development? What do they do together? Inner City Press has been informed by whistleblowers beyond Somalia that Bax has been part of the process by which genetic and DNA information from IED bombings have been transferred to US intelligence.

  There are also detailed accounts of Bax using UN and private contractor resources, without mandate, for a close friend. The problem here, it is reiterated, is that it put others at risk on Bax's whim. We'll have more on this - because the UN Secretariat says again and again that it puts staff safety first. This for example is the rationale, as Inner City Press alsoexclusively reported, for threatening to close down in New York the UN cafeteria and Dag Hammarskjold Library. 

  As with January Security Council president, Inner City Press offered thanks to Katz for the briefing for the new Free UN Coalition for Access, which will continue to push for increased transparency from the UN on cases like that of Bax, particuarly given the slated changing of the guard in the UN Spokesperson's office, click here for that. Watch this site.

   

UN Mine Action Lacking in Myanmar, UN Scruples Lacking in Sri Lanka

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 4, updated -- While the UN talked Mine Awareness on Thursday, a country for which it has a full time envoy, Vijay Nambiar to Myanmar, has very little Action on Mines.

  Inner City Press asked a UN panel about Myanmar, and about UNDP turning over mine action to the Sri Lanka army, depicted in the UN's own reports as engaged in war crimes.Video here from Minute 14:34.

  The UN's Dmitry Titov, now on the Rule of Law, gave the historical view on Myanmar, saying the UN has been “trying to engage Myanmar” but “so far, has not seen considerable response.”

  UN Mine Action's Paul Heslop tried to put a more positive gloss on it, while passing the issue to UNDP: “There is engagement with the government with regard to setting up Mine Action Program,” it is at an “early stage” with “UNDP taking the lead.”

They passed the microphone, if not the buck, to Timothy Horner of UNDP, who said there is a “lot of confusion on presence of mines in Myanmar.

  On Sri Lanka, ignoring the war crimes aspect, he said that UNDP works on mines in 23 countries, has been up to 40. “It's all about capacity,” and said, and handing over to governments.

He acknowledged that “Sri Lanka hasn't signed the treaties,” but said it is responsible for the safety and security of its citizens.

  And how about those killed in the “Blood Bath on the Beach”? Don't expect to hear about this from UNDP. Or really from the UN, anymore. This has been a low point of Ban Ki-moon's time as UN Secretary General. Watch this site.

Update: Later on Thursday was an event about landmines featuring UN Peacekeeping's stonewalling chief Herve Ladsous, who has refused to answer Inner City Press questions about accepting Shavendra Silva of Sri Lanka as an adviser, about safeguards not to spread cholera as in Haiti, about 126 rapes in Minova by his partners in the Congolese Army. The MC was Stephane Dujarric from DPI, which lets Ladsous spin on its UN Radio. Tick tock, tick tock.#Ladsous2013.

As UN Security Council Visits Liberia, Why was Titov Rejected as Envoy?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 -- The UN Security Council arrived Saturday in Liberia to meet with the government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Among the back-stories was the unsuccessful attempt by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to place one of his most senior Russian officials, Dmitry Titov, as his Special Representative for UNMIL.

  Numerous UN sources have told Inner City Press that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf rejected Titov. But why?

  Some say that Titov can be hard to get along with. There is some basis: for example, when Inner City Press previously noted Titov moving through the UN with Foreign Minister Lavrov, the response was, "You'd never say that about a European." Things are clearer since then: such reporting goes both East and West.

   In any event there are several accepted SRSGs who are ornery. Others, including at least one Security Council member, say that there is some "Russian Mafia" action in Liberia and that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf believed that Titov, now in charge of "Rule of Law" at the UN, would inquire into it.

  Despite substantial from the UN and the US, which co-leads this leg of the trip with Morocco, for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, there are numerous questions. As simply one example, she appointed her own son, Robert Sirleaf, as Chairman of the Board of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL).

  The UK, which will co-lead the Sierra Leone leg of the trip, provided a read out of "Excellent meeting with Johnson Sirleaf and her ministers. Issues of UNMIL transition; reconciliation; justice; security.... and ECOWAS discussed."

  There have also been a series of issues about the UN's own UNMIL mission, from staff complaints, sexual abuse and UN double-talk about how frequent flier miles are used.

  The Council will fly onward in its West Africa tour, the newsiest portion of which will be a meeting with ECOWAS in Abidjan which will concern not only Guinea Bissau, where ECOWAS proposes 12 months for coup leaders, but one would think Mali as well. Watch this site.

UN Preaches Rule of Law But Immune on Haiti Cholera, Srebrenica, Injuries

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 6 -- As the UN on Wednesday promoted a “Rule of Law Indicators” implementation guide, questions about the UN's own compliance with the rule of law arose.

Given recent confirmation that the UN peacekeepers brought cholera into Haiti, and this week's court decision finding liability for Dutch troops in Srebrenica, with the UN still claiming immunity, Inner City Press asked, how can the UN preach to countries about the rule of law?

Dmitry Titov of UN Peacekeeping called it a “big legal question,” on which he'd defer to Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

Simonovic said that the purpose of immunity is so that diplomats are not “harassed.” He referred to the film “The Whistleblower” -- but said “however this does not mean that there should be more privileges and immunities abandoned because they serve certain purposes for the UN.” Video here, from Minute 30:26.

Yes: they give the UN impunity. Liability to Haitians for cholera is not “harassment,” it would be accountability. Earlier on Wednesday Inner City Press asked the head of UN Women Michelle Bachelet about charges that Egyptian UN peacekeepers in South Kordofan in Sudan were involved in sexual abuse of women in Kadugli. Bachelet said UN Women, with three offices in Sudan, checked into it “on the ground” but did not find evidence.

But how much did the UN, or UN Women, speak with SPLM-North, whose AL-Hilu has taken to writing letters directly to the Egyptians, bypassing the UN which has given no answers, with questions about the Egyptian peacekeepers' involvement with government militias? Rule of law indeed.

Footnote: later on July 6 Inner City Press witnessed a workplace injury at the construction site in the UN between the Security Council and briefing room, in the garage. A stretcher was brought from far away within the UN complex, to replace FDNY ambulances which are generally not even allowed into the UN. “There were no safety officers there,” another witness later complained to Inner City Press. Could the construction worker, if necessary, sue the UN for negligence? Or is there no rule of law at the UN?

As UN Takes $2m for Mines from Association Silent on Its Budget, Excludes Press, Writes It Own Feel Good Story

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 28. updated -- In covering the UN, Inner City Press is often asked by UN officials to “write more positive stories,” and tries to. Friday in front of the General Assembly, it was suggested that a ceremony later that morning in the Indonesian Lounge next to the GA would provide some “feel-good” news.

“Just get someone from MALU” -- the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit -- “to escort you,” Inner City Press was told. Ten minutes before the ceremony, to mark a $2 million contribution from the International Road Transport Union (IRU) to the UN Mine Action Service for use in Afghanistan, MALU arrived.

Inner City Press was escorted to an area just outside the Indonesian Lounge, where two bottles of champagne waited along with a half dozen glasses. In the front part of the lounge, Inner City Press was greeted by the Permanent Representatives of Kazakhstan, Iraq and Chad.

Then a representative of the Mine Action Service arrived, calling himself “Lee,” and said that he was sorry to inform Inner City Press but “some Ambassadors” did want it to cover the ceremony. Not to worry, he said, Mine Action director Maxwell Kerley would give an interview after the ceremony.

Inner City Press walked to the entrance of the ceremony and was told by the head of the UN Department of Peacekeeper Operations Rule of Law office Dmitry Titov that the event was private. But behind him, there was a television crew and a still photographer in front of the microphone.

Inner City Press objected that the UN is not free to allow in some accredited journalists and not others. “They are getting paid,” was the response. Inner City Press asked who they were, and after several refusals to answer was told they were from Zvezda TV, and are accredited by the UN and its MALU.

A woman from Peacekeeping came out and said no answer could be given until the ceremony was over (and could no longer be covered by Inner City Press). She said she would call Protocol.

Inner City Press waited until the ceremony, filmed by the Russian TV crew, was over. The Mine Action spokesman Lee, believed from the UN's staff roster to be Edward Lee Woodyear, then brough Maxwell Kurley over.

Kurley said that the Russian TV crew was making a documentary about the International Road Transport Union. Inner City Press asked who had thought to direct the donation to Afghanistan, the UN or IRU? We suggested Afghanistan, Kerley said.

Minutes later, deputy Secretary General of the IRU De Pretto told Inner City Press that his organization had suggested Afghanistan, as it has an interest the entire Silk Road. In order to put the $2 million into context, Inner City Press asked what the annual budget of the IRU is.

I'm not going to tell you, De Pretto answered.

From outside UN Lounge, Kerley & De Pretto, Titov blocks camera (c) MRLee

Inner City Press asked, are you a non-profit? Yes, De Pretto said, but in Geneva, not the United States. He said that the American Truckers Union is part of the IRU. Inner City Press asked if IRU has a position on Mexican trucks in the US. We are against protectionism, De Pretto answered.

Kerley said that the $2 million will not be subject to competitive bidding, but rather proposals from five local NGOs. The work of removing mines, at least in this case, is not done by the UN. On his way out, Chad's Permanent Representative told Inner City Press dismissively that his country doesn't use the use for mine removal, “we deal with the Canadians bilaterally,” cutting out the middle man.

Update: that's apparently what the UN wants to do, cut out the middleman of an independent press. Hours after excluding such Press from its ceremony, the UN's News Service published this.

Inner City Press still wants to cover positive UN stories. Watch this site.

UN Won't Say Who's In Charge of Peacekeeping in Crisis in Sudan and Congo, on Haiti Passes Buck

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/dpko1oic040910.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 9, updated -- UN Peacekeeping is in crisis, with Chad and now the Congo seeking to throw UN Missions out, with its Darfur blue helmets having handed their weapons to rebels without a fight, and with its role in electoral fraud being raised in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Sudan.

The chief of UN Peacekeeping Alain Leroy addressed a closed meeting of the Security Council on two of these topics on April 8, after which it was announced he would take questions from the Press.

But this Q&A session was unceremoniously canceled, and Inner City Press was informed that Leroy would immediately be going on ten days leave from the UN, in the midst of these crises.

On April 9, Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq to confirm and explain Leroy's leave, and requested the name of who would be in charge of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations during the Sudan elections starting April 11, and the Security Council trip to the Congo to try to extend the Mission.

The UN's Haq bristled, "We wouldn't have any comment on the leave of any of our staff." Video here, from Minute 12.

But that is not true. In fact the UN Economic Commission for Africa, to which Haq referred Inner City Press on a question of a UN staff member's illegal involvement as a pro-government Darfur rebel leader while paid by UN ECA, had issued an on the record response to Inner City Press and Haq that the staff member at issue, Al-Tijani Al-Sissi Ateem, went on leave on March 8, 2010.

So the UN will disclose "leave" when it suits it, but not when its time is embarrassing.

Inner City Press followed up, saying the request was not for where Leroy is going, but who will be in charge. Leroy's titular deputy Edmond Mulet has been named UN representative to Haiti, so the deputy slot is empty. Who, Inner City Press asked, will be the DPKO Officer in Charge in this crucial period? Is is some sort of secret?

Haq replied, "there is, and I think there will be an announcement, an additional Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations." He said he would check "when we can announce that formally."

On April 8, after Leroy canceled his scheduled Q&A session, Inner City Press observed him on the corner of 45th Street and Second Avenue speaking at length with Tony Banbury, who was deputy of Field Support before being send to post-earthquake Haiti. (In that job, Banbury famously said that three rapes in the IDP camps left him "elated," a comment Inner City Press reported and Banbury sought to clarify.)

We'll wait to see if Banbury is being formally returned to UN Headquarters from Haiti. This appears to be the case, as he is scheduled to address member states about military helicopters on April 14. Watch this site.

Footnote: Also unceremoniously pulled from Haiti was Kim Bolduc, a mere four months after she arrived and weeks after the UN praised her from the highest levels. She left on March 30, Inner City Press discovered and exclusively reported. Haq confirmed this, but said as to why, the question should be put to the UN Development Program. Video here from Minute 11:20. UNDP has now been asked by Inner City Press:

"In Nov 2009, the SG announced that Kim Bolduc was the new DSRSG for Haiti, a position she vacated just four months later. The UN Spokesperson's office has referred my questions to you. First, in her capacity as DSRSG, was Ms. Bolduc under an employment contract maintained by UNDP or by the Secretariat's OHRM? Secondly, what was the duration of her original assignment as DSRSG? Thirdly, Farhan Haq says that she is now employed with UNDP. What is her new assignment?"

There is a lot of buck passing to escape from answering. But we will follow up.

Update: While Farhan Haq refused to answer who would be in charge during Leroy's absence, Inner City Press later informally learned: Dmitry Titov, now Mister Rule of Law.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/dpko1oic040910.html

As Darfur Goes Quietly at UN, US Rep on China Guns, Gration and Gambari of One Mind?

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1sudov021310.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 13 -- After the UN Security Council held a meeting about Darfur on February 11 -- it was rushed according to Sudan, leaving only UN Peacekeeping's number three official to brief -- the press stakeout remained empty.

The French presidency of the Council did not come out and summarize the closed down discussions. The US Mission to the UN did not come out and speak, a pattern of silence some reasons for which the Mission does not want reported. But a Sudanese diplomat gave his version of the background to the meeting, and U.S. Congressman Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) spoke exclusively to Inner City Press, calling for more to be done, including about weapons flooding South Sudan, "coming in from China," he said.

Rep. Smith told Inner City Press, "We should be doing more. We had Gration speak, but it has to become a front burner issue. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement is at risk if there is no agreement in the North."

He recounted meeting President Omar Al Bashir, "before going to Darfur. All he talked about was lifting sanctions."

Inner City Press asked Rep Smith if he favored or opposed the U.S. joining the International Criminal Court. "I'm not against it, but I'm not yet for it," he said. He said the General Wesley Clark had be "charged with crimes against humanity" due to bombs dropped from U.S. planes flying "over three thousand feet."

A Sudanese diplomat, meanwhile, told Inner City Press that the Security Council's meeting would have made more sense later, with new UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, but "France wanted to rush it, before Gambari -- so they ended up with only Mr. Titov [the #3 in UN Peacekeeping] and not even Le Roy."

Meanwhile, while the UN Mission in Darfur UNAMID flies around a delegation from the Arab League, for resettlement of IDPs, U.S. envoy Scott Gration prepares to visit. At the UN, little is being said for now on the record: it's only Sudan, and visitors. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1sudov021310.html

Land Mine Use Defended by Sri Lanka as UN Says Nothing, of "Victim Activated" IEDs

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unmas1srilanka111709.html

UNITED NATIONS, November 17 -- The UN and its Secretary General are said to be strong advocates for countries to become parties to the Mine-Ban Convention. But when it comes to Sri Lanka, which has refused to join the Convention and which states openly that it uses land mines, it is unclear what the UN is doing to urge the country to stop using mines.

The UN is paying for removal of mines laid by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Meanwhile, in a debate in the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee on October 30, Samantha Jayasuriya of the Sri Lankan Mission argued that "for legitimate national security concerns, Sri Lanka had not become a party to the Mine-Ban Convention... Land mines were used by security forces 'always for defensive purposes' and mainly to demarcate the limits of their military installations."

This statement, more than five months after the Rajapaksa government declared final victory over the LTTE or Tamil Tigers, went uncommented on by the UN. At a press conference on November 17, Inner City Press asked Dmitry Titov of UN Peacekeeping and Maxwell Kerley, Director of the UN Mine Action Service, about Sri Lanka's statement and continued use of land mines. Video here, from Minute 35:56.

Mr. Titov replied that the Secretary General is in strong support of the Mine Ban Treaty. But when Inner City Press asked if Ban Ki-moon, in his many bilateral talks this year with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has ever directly asked that Sri Lanka join the Mine Ban Convention, Mr. Titov passed the question to Mr. Kerley, who described UNDP's work removing LTTE mines.

With the LTTE defeated, the Sri Lankan government's justification for using land mines is gone. But it was repeated on October 30 at the UN.

In more positive land mine news, Inner City Press asked Mr. Kerley about the use of bacteria to show where mines are. Kerley said the UN is looking into technology but primarily uses dogs. He made reference to "victim activated" improvised explosive devices. Inner City Press asked why the UN distinguishes these from IEDs activated by cell phones or command wire.

Kerley's answer was the the UN "guards its impartiality" so it will be "welcome by all." IEDs are the "weapon of choice" for some, and the UN only gets involved with these weapons are no longer "in play." Video here, from Minute 45. To some, this sounded like not wanting to offend the Taliban or Al Qaeda in Iraq by targeting their "weapon of choice" -- unless, as Mr. Titov inserted, they threaten UN personnel. To some, the phrase "victim activated IED" sounds like... blaming the victim. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unmas1srilanka111709.html

At UN, Russia's Day Ranges from Georgia to Espresso, N. Korea Praise, No Sri Lanka

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unsc2ministerial051109.html

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 -- Russia' foreign minister Sergey Lavrov met Monday morning with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, then in the afternoon with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Austria. In between he chaired the Security Council's meeting on the Middle East and held a short press conference at which he took only seven questions. One was on Sri Lanka: why has Russia fought to keep the carnage there off the Council's formal agenda? Lavrov answered that Russia is of course concerned as civilian casualties -- but only on in Sri Lanka, also Afghanistan and now Pakistan's Swat Valley. He said that civilian casualties should not be politicized.

Some remember back in August, when Russia called the casualties of Georgia in South Ossetia to be victims of war crimes. There was a Security Council meeting, requested by Russia, which began at 1 a.m.. Inner City Press was present and covered it. But in the face of over 400 civilians deaths over the weekend in Sri Lanka, not a single Council meeting. In another context on Monday, Lavrov decried the use of violence to solve political problems.

Lavrov was accompanied by the Russian Mission's previously spokeswoman, Maria Zarakhova. Before an open microphone, she said that they had recently visited North Korea. It is going better there, she said. The people have cell phones and she'd even seen a Hummer vehicle. That's why the last round of sanctions targeted luxury goods, she said. There improvements are less visible to those seeking to flee into China.

Monday after the Council's lunch, the Turkish delegation went into the Security Council. Lavrov followed, telling a security officer that “they have good coffee, please bring two cups of espresso, one for me and one for the Turkish minister.” A well known Arab League staffer, who will leave unnamed for now, is known to have fought to keep good coffee in the Council, when Lavrov was Russia's Ambassador. Using an espresso machine donated by Mexico, he ordered roasted beans, wholesale from Chicago. Others speak of the small bar by the Council chamber, always open during Lavrov's time, and how he saved the job of the bartender. Those were the days, many people say. Not Tamils, at least not recently.

Throughout Monday, the highest ranking Russian UN official in New York, Dmitri Titov, squired Lavrov around. First to the elevator up to meet with Ban Ki-moon. (Titov's boss Alain Le Roy made a point that it was him, and not Titov, who attended the meeting with Ban.) Then Titov went in and out of the Council, during Lavrov's bilateral meetings, at 2:52 and 3:14 p.m.. Finally, the UN Secretary provided a corrected read-out of the morning's meeting, which we run in corrected form:

Subject: Your question at noon (SG-Lavrov readout)

To: Inner City Press

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply/NY/UNO

Date: 05/11/2009

The Secretary-General (SG) met with the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation this morning and had a constructive meeting. They spoke about the Middle East, the forthcoming SG's debate to the Security Council on [the Middle East], the SG's fourteenth report on the Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Kosovo.

One wag joked that Russia, for its month atop the Council, wanted an issue which does not directly impact its interests. It could have made Georgia the topic, but time is on its side. The trend is the opposite on Kosovo but nothing, it seems, can stop that. And so, the Middle East, and a Presidential Statement which an OIC Ambassador told Inner City Press is very weak, “it would have been better to pass nothing, it is intended to publicize a Moscow event that will never happen." We'll see.

At 3:37 p.m., with an air kiss from Maria Zarakhova and a cursory wave from Lavrov, they were gone, headed back to Moscow. From Russia with love...

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc2ministerial051109.html

At UN, Bland Draft and Blood on Beach, Ministers Squired by Staff to Speak

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1ministerial051109.html

UNITED NATIONS, May 11, updated -- Amidst carnage in Sri Lanka, foreign ministers meet Monday at the UN in New York on a bland Presidential Statement on the Middle East. As the text was negotiated last week, references to settlements and terrorism were dropped from the draft, the “blue” version of which Inner City Press is putting online here. The 15 member states will speak, and then Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a press conference at 12:30.

Lavrov emerged at 9:40 from the Security Council accompanied by the highest Russian UN official in New York, Dmitri Titov. They entered an elevator to go meet with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Inner City Press' reporting in recent weeks finds that Lavrov has twice urged Ban to hire more Russian, particularly in top envoy posts like the Niger mission of Robert Fowler, which ended in kidnapping and prisoner swap.

To some, the open involvement of UN official like Titov in the visit to the UN of a dignitary of “his” country is questionable. It would be like Sir John Holmes, the UN's top humanitarian, openly squiring UK minister David Miliband around, or top peacekeeper Alain Le Roy accompanying Bernard Kouchner. A Security Council staffer told Inner City Press that with Le Roy and Susana Malcorra out of town, Titov was by coincidence the peacekeeping Officer in Charge. Did he go up to speak of Georgia?

The foreign ministers attending, in the order they will speak, include Austria's Michael Spindelegger, Burkina Faso's Bedouma Alain Yoda, Turkey's Ahmet Davutoglu, France's Bernard Kouchner, Mexico's Patricia Espinosa Cantellana, the UK's David Miliband, Costa Rica's Bruno Stagno and Russia's Sergey Lavrov.

Kouchner swept up the escalator with Jean-Maurice Ripert; Miliband with John Sawers. Both are slated to speak at 1 p.m. about the situation in Sri Lanka, where hundreds were killed over the weekend. Watch this space.

Update of 10:26 a.m. -- walking into the Security Council at 10:25 was Titov's boss, Alain Le Roy. Inner City Press asked him, staff said you were away, and Titov standing in for you. No, Le Roy said, Titov was not in the meeting with Ban. So he squired Lavrov to and into the elevator?

Update of 11:41 a.m. -- click here for Sri Lanka story, Inner City Press' questions to UK's Miliband. On the Middle East, a prominent OIC Ambassador told Inner City Press that Russia's PRST is very weak, it would have been better to pass nothing, it is intended to publicize a Moscow event "that will never happen."

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1ministerial051109.html