After UN Security Beaten, Ban Apologizes to Turkey, "Buys Silence," Stonewalls

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 26, updated -- After an apology to Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for an incident that left UN security officers injured, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon through his spokesman Martin Nesirky told Inner City Press Monday at noon that "unfortunate misunderstandings" with "security officials of member delegation... have been satisfactorily resolved."

Inner City Press, which first reported the fight between Turkish and UN security on Friday, earlier on Monday exclusively reported eyewitness accounts and dissatisfaction within UN Security at Ban's apology and the suspension of UN Security officers. Nesirky refused to confirm the suspensions, saying that since it's been "resolved [there's] nothing to be gained by me giving chapter and verse."

In follow up interviews with UN Security staff, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, Inner City Press has been told that "the emergency response team was suspended." The number of suspensions was put at six, with Team Ban now shifting to calling it "modified duty."

In the incident, in the General Assembly balconies during Palestinian President Abbas' speech, Erdogan's delegation was informed where they could and could not walk.

A scuffled ensued, with Officer Matthew Sullivan being injured in the ribs, and according to sources a female Jamaican officer being injured in the face.

"They called a Code Thirteen, calling all officers available," a source told Inner City Press. "I saw my colleagues on the ground, with blood on the floor. They didn't let us approach."

Now the suspension of the nine officers has been deemed "with pay," which at least one source characterized as "buying silence" after selling the officers out. The source asked, referring to member state's budget woes and debates, "Who's paying for this?"

Nesirky refused to comment on any of this, telling Inner City Press, "I've told you what I have to say... We are grateful for the understanding and forbearance shown by all involved."

Turkey has already bragged about getting an apology. Turkish Mission sources tell Inner City Press that Erdogan had a similar incident two years ago outside the Clinton Global Initiative in Midtown, when his entourage was stopped by security. He has not since returned to CGI, the sources say, noting that Bill Clinton was around when Ban met with Erdogan to apologize.

Ban has often said he is committed to defending UN personnel. This did not take place after UN Security's Louis Maxwell was killed by Afghan National forces in Kabul -- in fact, the UN covered up the murder, then begrudgingly said Maxwell was a hero. Inner City Press asked UN Security chief Greg Starr, who replied, “The problem is, in many cases you're asking the Afghans to really follow up on one person. How many thousands of Afghans have died? So you've got to be sensitive culturally.”

But beyond "cultural sensitivity," Ban's decision in this case to apologize seems to many in UN Security, and beyond, as eminently political, and now lacking any transparency. "If he won't even defend his own people," one UN Security officer asked, "how can he pretend to defend civilians?" How indeed. Watch this site.

Turks Broke UN Officer's Ribs But UN Guards Suspended, "Sold Out" by Ban Ki-moon

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 26, updated -- The fight on September 23 between UN Security and the Turkish delegation, on which Inner City Press exclusively reported that afternoon including the hospitalization of a UN Security officer with broken ribs, has now resulted in the suspension of nine UN Security officers.

They feel they were not to blame, that too many ID passes were given to the Turkish delegation, and that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did not back them up.

Ban met with the Turks, and with UN Security at 7:15 am on Saturday. Nine officers were suspended, and all were told not to talk with the press. Some analogize it to the UN's cover up of the killing of UN Security officer Louis Maxwell in Afghanistan by Afghan National Forces, for which no one has ever been held accountable.

"We're just pawns to Ban Ki-moon," one officer complained to Inner City Press. "He sells us out. Ban will do anything to avoid a confrontation with the Turks, even after they broke [officer] Matt Sullivan's ribs, and beat up that Jamaican officer."

On September 23 alongside publishing its exclusive story, Inner City Press asked Ban's Office of the Spokesperson for a comment and was told that a "line" was forthcoming. More than sixty hours later nothing has been said, although the Ban Administration through channels indicates a statement is forthcoming. Watch this site.

Update of 10:27 am -- outside the Security Council (further outside than usual as the press is banned from the regular stakeout) a Permanent Five member diplomat told Inner City Press that the incident, learned about from Inner City Press' Friday report, was causing ripples: "We need to beef up the capabilities of UN Security." Or of the S-G?

As several Security officers complained to Inner City Press, they are now not allowed to use or even carry their non-lethal security equipment. "We've been defanged by Ban," one said. Echoes of Southern Kordofan, even of Rwanda, another said. This not be seriousness but structure: UN Secretariat leaving peacekeepers or security officers immobile due to politics.

Ban Admits Lapses, Sri Lanka Says, Writing Out Rights & Sex Violence

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 25 -- When Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his team on September 24, Rajapaksa accused Ban of undermining the UN's credibility and, cravenly, the "Secretary General's team acknowledged that there had been a lapse in communication" regarding the Panel of Experts report alleging war crimes.

Rajapaksa's spokesman Bandula Jayasekara's readout is six times longer than the UN's, and was issued some 16 hours later.

It lists all seven Sri Lankan attendees -- with accused war criminal Deputy Permanent Representative Shavendra Silva notably absent -- but only three of the UN attendees.

Sri Lanka does not mention the presence of Ivan Simonovic, the New York representative of High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, nor Special Adviser on Sexual Violence and Conflict Margot Wallstrom.

The latter, it seems, would be present due to allegations that Sri Lankan soldiers mass raped Tamil women in the final stages of the conflict in 2009.

The Sri Lankan side says that "read verbatim the minutes kept during the meeting held in 2010," and said that commitments made had been violated.

After that September 24, 2010 meeting, the UN issued a read out that, unlike the others issued, purported to summarize both sides of the meeting. The Sri Lankans then issued their own version, which the UN refused to comment on.

This year, the UN issued bland and in context misleading 67 work read-out less than two hours after the Saturday evening meeting, which Inner City Press added to its already-published story.

Midday on Sunday, Bandula Jayasekara who preceded Silva as Deputy Permanent Representative until harassment charges were levied, issued a 408 word statement that is published in full below.

In the Lankan statement Lynn Pascoe's name is misspelled, unlike Vijay Nambiar's. Foreign minister Peiris, along with Permanent Representative Kohona, held meetings on September 22 with Pascoe (who told Inner City Press that the Sri Lankans "have complaints") and then with Nambiar, who confirmed the meeting but declined to summarize it.

At the conclusion of Saturday night's meeting, as filmed by Inner City Press, Kohona told Rajapaksa about Ban, "He has already seen the video we sent him."

This would seem to refer to the pro-Rajapaksa government video "Lies Agreed To," itself a purported rebuttal of the Channel 4 documentary "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka."

Along with depicting Rajapaksa government war crimes, including a discussion of the White Flag murders involving Palitha Kohona and Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, "Killing Fields" criticizes the UN's and Ban's performance.

But Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky had repeatedly told Inner City Press that Ban has still not watch Killing Fields, despite long ago being given a DVD of the documentary.

On September 22, Nesirky's office told Inner City Press, that the"Secretary-General has yet to view the documentary "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka", but has been thoroughly briefed on the film's contents."

Now Kohona says Ban "has already seen the video we sent him" -- the rebuttal.

Similarly, as reported by Inner City Press, decisions to not show Killing Fields inside the UN but to screen "Lies Agreed To" along with Kohona and his Deputy Shavendra Silva, were taken unilaterally by Giampaolo Pioli who accepting money from Kohona, for property.

The UN briefing room, and apparently Ban Ki-moon himself, saw the government's rebuttal without seeing the underlying documentary film about Rajapaksa -- and perhaps Nambiar's -- war crimes. Watch this YouTube video, and this site.

At UN, Kohona Tells Rajapaksa Ban "Has Seen Video We Sent Him"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 24 -- When Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohona left their meeting with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday night, they paused at the elevator speaking to and about Mr. Ban.

As caught on video by Inner City Press and put online here, Kohona told Rajapaksa, about Ban, "He has already seen the video we sent him."

This would seem to refer to the pro-Rajapaksa government video "Lies Agreed To," itself a purported rebuttal of the Channel 4 documentary "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka."

Along with depicting Rajapaksa government war crimes, including a discussion of the White Flag murders involving Palitha Kohona and Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, "Killing Fields" criticizes the UN's and Ban's performance.

But Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky had repeatedly told Inner City Press that Ban has still not watch Killing Fields, despite long ago being given a DVD of the documentary.

On September 22, Nesirky's office told Inner City Press, that the "Secretary-General has yet to view the documentary "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka", but has been thoroughly briefed on the film's contents." Now Kohona says Ban "has already seen the video we sent him" -- the rebuttal.

Similarly, as reported by Inner City Press, decisions to not show Killing Fields inside the UN but to screen "Lies Agreed To" along with Kohona and his Deputy Shavendra Silva, were taken unilaterally by Giampaolo Pioli who accepting money from Kohona, for property.

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The UN briefing room, and apparently Ban Ki-moon himself, saw the government's rebuttal without seeing the underlying documentary film about Rajapaksa -- and perhaps Nambiar's -- war crimes. Watch this YouTube video, and this site.

Footnotes on footage: How was this video filmed, and what will the UN say about it? After the initial photo op, cameramen are usually shepherded off the North Lawn building's third floor.

But this time, the Sri Lankan national UN Security officer seen directly behind Rajapaksa in the footage arranged for the three other photographers, all Sri Lankan, to stay up at the entrance to Ban's office. Inner City Press stayed as well.

When ten minutes late the meeting ended, Ban escorted Rajapaksa, Kohona, Peiris et al. to the elevator, and Inner City Press filmed. There Kohona said the above to Rajapaksa, about Ban, well out of the earshot of Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, who stopped Ban on his way back in to the waiting Montenegro delegation and asked him questions. But what did Ban tell him? And what if anything will Nesirky say? Watch this site.