UN Lebanon Envoy Plumbly Dodges on Drones, Cut Off by Iran Focus, Ladsous Proceeds

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 14 -- What is it about the UN and drones? On Thursday Inner City Press asked the UN's Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly if the Israeli drones over Lebanon are armed or reconnaissance drones.

  Plumbly first said that the UN's reporting is “detailed.” He mentioned “fixed wing air-craft” and helicopters. When Pressed, about which kind of drone, he said he couldn't get into that.

  The underlying report on Resolution 1701 refers, in its Paragraph 12, to attack helicopters over Tyre and to overflights by “unmanned aerial vehicles.” The Lebanese Army has been more specific. 

  Why should the UN play hide the ball? Perhaps it was not only Plumbly's fault. Follow up was cut off by a media announcing itself as wanting to go in another direction. The other was, as usual, all Iran. And that was it.

 The Security Council was briefed by Plumbly and the Director of Asia and Middle East Division at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, DPKO.

  The head of DPKO Herve Ladsous has been pushing for the UN to use drones since at least March 2012. He presented the idea to the C-34 Committee, after which many delegates criticized Ladsous and his idea to Inner City Press, musing that he'd share the intelligence feed with France.

  Ladsous began a procurement for drones in Central Africa and West Africa -- Cote d'Ivoire? But when he finally got a letter of approval, not from the General Assembly or 140-some member C-34 but from the Security Council, it was only for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

  Inner City Press has asked repeatedly for DPKO's safeguards for the use of drones, who will get the information? What approvals are needed? Like with questions about the supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, Ladsous' DPKO refuses to answer. But Plumbly? We will continue on this. Watch this site.

On Lebanon, Russia Resists Calling for Implementation of 1701 Resolution

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1leb1701russia111009.html

UNITED NATIONS, November 10 -- When the UN Security Council met behind closed door Tuesday about its Resolution 1701 and the situation between Lebanon and Israel, there was a surprising blockage to even calling for implementation of the Council's own Resolution 1701. Diplomatic sources in the consultations meeting tell Inner City Press that Russia opposed even the use of the word "implementation."

When the UN's Michael Williams emerged to brief the Press, he repeatedly took issue with reporters who asked about what opposition parties in Lebanon call his report's lack of balance. Every over flight of Lebanon, he insisted, is a violation of 1701.

Of the ship stopped by Israel, Williams said it is beyond his mandate to comment on the legality of the cargo or its seizure. Regarding the Israeli Army chief of staff's comments that Hezbollah has rockets that can reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Williams answered that he has no way to know of their range.

Inner City Press asked Williams about reports that Israel has asked for Italy to continue to force commander of the UNFIL peacekeeping mission, rather than pass the mandate to Spain.

Like you, Williams replied, I read colorful media reports. But it is up to the Secretary General and the decision should be made in a few weeks. We'll see.

Footnote: Russia also, behind the scenes, raised issues recently about the UN's panel of inquiry into the killing of civilians in Guinea. As with the strange pattern of the UN Mission anthrax scare, people are trying to find a pattern here.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1leb1701russia111009.html