On Halloween, UNSC on Iraq & Syria, No Video or Burkina Faso

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 31 -- Amid mass executions and coups d'etat, this now is how the UN Security Council is operating: issuing multiple Press Statements after hours on Fridays, on some topics but not others.

  Past 5 pm on Halloween, an email from UN Television told some of the press corps at the UN that two statements would be read out. The topics were not stated.

  Inner City Press ran to the Security Council stakeout and waited, with a handful of UN staff and UNTV contractors. It was suggested that, beyond Syria -- a statement on which had already gone online -- the second statement might be about the “change in government” in Burkina Faso, and the military taking control.

  But when Perceval arrived and read the second statement, it was about Iraq, ISIL's executions of Sunni tribesmen in Anbar, the same phrasing used in the US State Department's expressions of concern.

  Afterward Inner City Press asked Perceval if anyone had raised Burkina Faso (and, on Syria, if it was true that a video of the bombed IDP camp near Idlib had been shown to the Council members. On this, Perceval said no, not in formal consultations.)

  On Burkina Faso, Perceval indicated that while it was serious, it might not be a threat to international peace and security. She said that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has spoken, presumably for the member states But did he? Earlier on October 31 at the UN's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

Inner City Press: the UN seems to in peace processes work pretty closely with Burkina Faso. So I wonder when, if you can maybe say, when the President began to talk about changing term limits and going beyond his current 27 years of rule, did anyone in the UN system say, maybe it's a bad idea, maybe it's time… maybe your Government is too strong, maybe it's time for somebody else? Or was it hands off? What was the view of that?

Spokesman Dujarric: I think it's… first of all, I doubt that there were any consultations by the President and the UN on what his decisions were, what the parliament's decision was going to be, you know, so I think we're trying to imagine conversations that were not had.

Inner City Press: What I'm saying is, the UN has actively asked the Burkina authorities to play a role in a variety of regional conflicts; it seems like there are kind of discussions, and also by making that request, they're saying that this 27-year person is a…

Spokesman: I think, you know, Burkina Faso has a role to play in the regional… in keeping regional peace. I think every country in any region has that role to play.

Inner City Press: What's Mr. Chambas doing there?

Spokesman: He was sent by the Secretary-General. He'll be meeting with key stakeholders. He arrived this morning. Obviously, the situation is changing at a very rapid clip, and he will be talking with key stakeholders.

Ah, the UN. Watch this site.

Footnote: As the Free UN Coalition for Access complained earlier in the month, the stakeout was not announced by the UN Spokesperson's Office, but only via email to broadcasters using UNTV. On the afternoon of October 31 incoming UN Security Council president Gary Quinlan of Australia, in a panel about sanctions, said, “Please, let us speak to the media.” FUNCA agrees - we'll have more on this.

   

In Yemen As Hadi's Second Choice for Prime Minister Is Former Saleh Oil Minister, Who's TOTAL-ly Blocking Sanctions?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 13 -- After Yemeni Prime Minster designate Ahmed Awadh Bin Mubarak was vetoed by the Houthis, on October 13 President Hadi appointed Yemen’s current UN Ambassador Khaled Mahfoodh Abdulla Bahah to the position.

He was Minister of Oil and Minerals of Yemen from 2006 until 2008, under Ali Saleh, including being “the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas Project with investments of over $4 Billion, Chairman of the Safer Exploration and Production Petroleum Company and, Chairman of the Yemen General Corporation for Oil and Gas, which includes the Aden Refinery Company, the Yemen Refinery Company, the Yemen Oil Company, the Yemen Investment Oil Company, and the Petroleum Training Center.” That's a whole lot of hydrocarbons.

When UN Security Council president for October Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina read-out the Council's press statement on Yemen on October 10, Inner City Press asked if there was increased discussion in the Council of imposing the sanctions for which a committee, well paid but yet to act, has already been set up.

The Security Council's last press statement on September 23 said that “the members of the Security Council recall that the members of the Sanctions Committee established under resolution 2140 expressed their readiness, with a sense of urgency, to consider proposals for the designation of individuals or entities as subject to the targeted sanctions measures under resolution 2140.”

Perceval said there would be consultations of the Council on October 10.

Sources are telling Inner City Press that even as the US has belatedly turned serious about imposing the long threatened sanctions on Ali Saleh, another permanent member of the UN Security Council, still hoping for its national hydrocarbon industry to continue the privileged deals it had under Saleh (for example the 2005 LNG deal with Total, criticized by many including Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman, UN angle here) is blocking or delaying sanctions. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

Egypt PR Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil Tells Inner City Press UN's Feltman Is Granted Meetings, Will Visit, US Echoes, ICP Audio

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Audio

UNITED NATIONS, August 15 -- While the UN Security Council met Thursday about Egypt, at least three of that country's diplomats milled around just outside with the press.

  When it was over, Inner City Press asked Egyptian Permanent Representative Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil on tape if the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman could visit the country, as requested by Security Council president for August, Argentina.

  Ambassador Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil said that "we have been contacted by the Secretariat" of the UN, "Mr. Feltman expressed his interest to go." He said, through Egypt's Mission to the UN, Feltman asked "to set up a number of high level meetings and we have done so." Inner City Press exclusive audio now online here.

  This next step wasn't made clear in the bland agreed summary of the meeting that Argentine Permanent Representative Perceval read out at the stakeout. This was followed by shouting, why had she only denounced the anti-Morsi coup in her national capacity? Well, because a number of members have refused to call it a coup.

  Sources, not at the US Mission, told Inner City Press that the US represented by Samantha Power (Inner City Press entrance photo here) expressed an interest in the end of the state of emergency and elections soon. 

  France proposed "press elements" for a statement, but this was rejected. Argentina wanted to know if Feltman will go.

  And now, at least based on what Egyptian Ambassador Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil told Inner City Press, it seems the answer is "yes."

  It must be noted that Feltman was previously the US State Department's chief for the Middle East. So will his approach be different than that of the State Department, where John Kerry not only didn't call it a coup, but said the military was restoring democracy?

  Earlier on Thursday Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey if the Secretariat had any comment on Malian coup leader Sanogo being rewarded this week with a promotion to General. Video via here.

   No, there was no comment. Watch this site.