Exclusive: UN Says Video of Syria Rebels' Chemical Weapons Use Was Too Short, Tells Inner City Press, "We Never Managed"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- Of footage of chemical weapons use by Syrian rebels which the UN ten days ago said was being "converted into a usable format, and it is being sent to the Head of the Team, Ake Sellstrom," the UN on June 3 told Inner City Press "we never managed, technically."

  This either seems like news that should have been announced, or the UN's May 23 statement should have been retracted, that "on material shared by Anastasia Popova... the High Representative's Office has received the material and are converting it into a usable format, and it is being sent to the Head of the Team, Ake Sellstrom."

  At the June 3 press conference featuring UN High Representative on Disarmament Angela Kane, the moderator said that pressing questions could be asked afterward to the panelists. Inner City Press waited and asked Kane about the footage provided by Russian state TV reporter Anastasia Popova. Video here and embedded below.

  Kane said "it's like two seconds each picture." The UN official with her added, "we tried to make it as documentary... we never managed, technically."

Inner City Press cited back to the UN's May 23 statement. Kane said, "I had nothing to do with the response." She added that Sellstrom, Ban's chemical weapons prober, has "received a number" of submissions. 

 Her colleague said Popova's was "dozens of very short clips." It seems clear that either what Popova submitted has NOT been given to Sellstrom, or if so it is not being taken seriously.

Back on April 30 at the Russian Mission to the UN, Popova, told Inner City Press that while she had information about the use of chemical weapons in Al-Asal, the UN panel headed by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro had declined to look at it.

  Inner City Press wrote the story, and on May 1 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky if Ban's prober Ake Sellstrom would be willing to look at Popova's evidence. Yes, Nesirky said, to the surprise of some.

  Now: did Sellstrom even get it?  And have he and Kane similarly (not) sought or got any of the information Carla Del Ponte referred to when she spoke of "strong suspicions" of chemical weapons used -- by the Syrian rebels, not the government? Watch this site.

Before Mali Mission, Chad Complains to ICP It's On Child Soldiers List, But Ladsous Lax Like DRC

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- With the UN mission in Mali set to begin in four weeks' time, Chad's Permanent Representative Ahmad Allam-mi on Monday complained to Inner City Press about his country still being listed among recruiters of child soldiers.

  He said that only "twelve or twenty" people wanted to get their children into the army. It's been addressed, he said, but the UN takes too long to then go out and check every facility.

  His concerned seemed to be with implementation of the UN's claimed human rights due diligence policy. He might relax: the UN's Herve Ladsous covered up 135 rapes by the Congolese Army for four months, then didn't follow through and suspend UN support to the 391st and 41st Battalions.

  Ladsous was seen wandering around Monday afternoon outside the Arms Trade Treaty event, looking lost as he did at Togo's End of Security Council Presidency reception last week. Outside the UNSC, the UN has tried to disallow the media worktable that was there before, and seized a small table brought in the interim by the Free UN Coalition for Access. As Ladsous evades press questions, perhaps he likes there being no table. But who else?

As to the deployment to Mali, Allam-mi said Chad has a "biometric" system to check soldiers before they go. He went on to say that "some NGOs just do the work of their governments." And some NGOs don't work at all. Watch this site.

Media Worktable at UNSC Seized by "Lady from DPI" of UN, Partner UNCA Silent, Banning the Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- If at the UN a journalist sets up a small work table by the Security Council, where one has existed for years, what happens? 

  On Monday morning the UN's Department of Public Information seized the press work table. 

  Then at the day's UN noon briefing when Inner City Press asked by what authority, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky replied by again and again referring to "extensive discussions" with his deputy, and with DPI's Stephane Dujarric.

  But neither stated when the proposed rule, immediately opposed on May 21 by the new Free UN Coalition for Access, would go into effect:

"f. The Security Council stakeout area, including the Turkish Lounge, is not to be used as a permanent workspace for the media. When the Council is not in session, correspondents should minimize the amount of time in the area, unless interviewing or conversing with a U.N. delegate or official."

  From May 21 right into the weekend of the move, Inner City Press and FUNCA worked to get the rules suspended or modified, asking about it at six -- now seven -- noon briefings and speaking with the Department of Public Information on May 31, and even on Saturday, June 1.

  None of this stopped DPI from seizing the small table on which work was attempted on June 3. Inner City Press was told that "a lady from DPI" took it. 

   While no one from DPI has contacted Inner City Press about returning the table, or has responded to a status request e-mailed before 11 am on Monday, we note that one "lady from DPI" led a non-consensual raid on Inner City Press' last office on March 18, 2013.

After that, photographs of Inner City Press' desk and bookshelf were leaked to BuzzFeed immediately after that publication contacted Ban's spokesperson to ask about the raid.

  Nor did DPI's long time partner UNCA do or say anything about the seizing of the table. One UNCA board member proposed to send FUNCA a draft, but hasn't. UNCA president for 2103 Pamela Falk of CBS, took photographs of the March 18 raid, then issued a legal threat against questioning why she took the photos, has said she hadn't seen the draft of the Media Access Guidelines.

  But on June 3 the rules were apparently in effect -- under what else would DPI have seized a media worktable? And where is the incoming president of the Security Council on this? Watch this site.

As Arms Trade Treaty Is Signed, Arms to Syria "Would Be Inconsistent," ICRC Tells Inner City Press, UK Wants Flexibility

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- Amid the hoopla on UN signings of the Arms Trade Treaty, Inner City Press asked the UK's Alistair Burt, Costa Rica's minister, the Red Cross and Control Arms how the ATT's "Golden Rule" would apply to arming the rebels in Syria.

Alistair Burt replied that while the expiration of the EU's arms embargo on Syria provides "flexibility" that the UK wanted, no decision has yet been made; the goal was to increase pressure on Bashar al Assad.

But Christine Beerli of the International Committee of the Red Cross answered Inner City Press directly, that providing arms into Syria at this time would be inconsistent with the spirit of the ATT.

Control Arms' Anna MacDonald pointed out that the UK and France are already covered by the European Union's common position, requiring risk assessment. But how did that apply to France air-dropping weapons into the Nafusa Mountains in Libya?

Costa Rica's minister, meanwhile, said the situation in Syria is the perfect example to show why an Arms Trade Treaty is necessary. At least he took questions at the temporary stakeout in front of the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Mostly signers simply held signs congratulating themselves for making history. Fair enough.

The UN's Angela Kane was also on the panel, and afterward Inner City Press asked her a question about Syria. But that's another story. Watch this site.

Footnote: At the ATT press conference, the first question was taken by UN Correspondents Association president for 2013, Pamela Falk of CBS, who asked for a headcount of how many states signed but won't get ratification. (Can you say, USA?) As if the make the point, her first vice president, Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, re-asked the explicitly American question.  

 But during the morning, when the Security Council re-opened without the media workspace that existed before and during the relocation, and a small work table set up by the new Free UN Coalition for Access was seized by a "lady from DPI," Falk, Charbonneau and UNCA did nothing. We'll have more on this.

As UNSC Re-Opens Media Workspace Is Cut, Banning Press by UN & Partners, UNCA: Protest by FUNCA, Day 1

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- In front of the UN Security Council before it was closed for repairs, there was a media work-table from which to cover it. The table was maintained during the relocation to the UN basement under the General Assembly until May 31.

  But today when the Security Council re-opened there was no table. On May 21, Inner City Press saw and report, and through the new Free UN Coalition for Access opposed, a rule which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's office says it and the other parties including the old UN Correspondents Association agreed to:

"f. The Security Council stakeout area, including the Turkish Lounge, is not to be used as a permanent workspace for the media. When the Council is not in session, correspondents should minimize the amount of time in the area, unless interviewing or conversing with a U.N. delegate or official."

From May 21 right into the weekend of the move, Inner City Press and FUNCA worked to get the rules suspended or modified, asking about it at six noon briefing and speaking with the Department of Public Information on May 31, and even on Saturday, June 1, both with respect to the so-called Turkish Lounge.

  Inner City Press was asked to hold off writing to allow a final pre-move check to take place -- and Inner City Press agreed, and abided by it. But this morning the Council opened, with the UK's Mark Lyall Grant hoping bilateral meetings in the Council, and there was no table.

  Where was UNCA during on this? Its 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS, who claimed to have not seen the draft of the rules that FUNCA was given, was robo-tweeting stories written by others. Her first vice president Louis Charbonneau of Reuters was promoting the mega-corporation he works for, and himself.

  As Inner City Press has shown, the Gulf and Western big media who rule UNCA not only don't care about the table -- they generally sit upstairs waiting to be spoon-fed documents and spin by "their" missions -- but actively sought its elimination.

  This was both a matter of making it harder for smaller investigative media to cover the Council, and some say a way to "get back" at article they haven't liked. In 2012 UNCA board member Voice of America, saying it had the support of Reuters, Agence France Presse through Tim Witcher, andothers, asked the UN's Stephane Dujarric to "review" the accreditation of Inner City Press.

This was exposed using the US Freedom of Information Act, and the New York Civil Liberties Union wrote to the head of DPI asking to know the due process rights of journalists at the UN. (No rights, no real answer.)

  In 2013 it was Dujarric, with the head of DPI away, who wrote to Inner City Press and FUNCA, even before responding to the detailed proposed amendments submitted, that there will be no table. On May 31, the UN couldn't even state the status of the comments or the rules. But as the Security Council re-opened this morning on June 3, there is no table. We will have more, much more, on this. Watch this site.

Amid Crackdown in Turkey, Ban Ki-moon's UN Is Silent, No Response to Press: Reducing Access, Turkish Lounge Indeed

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- Amid the protests and crackdowns in Taksin Square, Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey, what has the UN had to say? Nothing.

  It's not that they were not asked. Early on June 1, more than 45 hours before finally publishing this, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's three top spokespeople, "does the UN have any comment or guidance on the response to protests in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey?"

  Not only was there no response to or acknowledgment of question, which was accompanied by a request for Ban's response to 19 members of the US Congress writing about his dismissal of 5000 legal claims for the UN bringing cholera to Haiti, and on other issues -- the UN has put out no statement at all.

  Statements are what this UN has been reduced to. They churn them out at breathtaking speed, and those who cover Ban write them up, as it's calls, as fast as they come out. Ban is "deeply concerned" about this, "concerned about that," "calls for restraint," and so forth.

  In this case, it's not that Ban and his Office have not been cranking out statements: about malaria, Tanzania, post-2015 development, Madagascar, the World Bank and, of course, Syria. But nothing on #OccupyGezi or Turkey -- one of the West's and Ban's allies on Syria. Could that be it?

  Meanwhile Ban's UN, having orchestrated an entirely unnecessary reduction in press access and media workspace in front of the relocating Security Council, has also gone silent. Knowing of a 10 am Monday deadline, unlike Ban's Office of the Spokesperson the responsible department did contact Inner City Press.

A request was made to hold off to allow the checking and consideration of information provided by the new Free UN Coalition for Access back on May 21, when the proposed rule (apparently supported by the old UN Correspondents Association and explicitly by Ban or at least his Office of the Spokesperson, video here). Inner City Press did turn closer to home and hold off, it's unclear for what.

Ironically, a cause or justification for the impending reduction in media access is... a new so-called Turkish Lounge. We'll have more on all this. Watch this site.

In NYC, CitiBike Follows Redline Pattern, Kiosks Hard to Use at Night: Too Big to Fail to Too Big to Ride? Early Review

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 2 -- The CitiBike program, sponsored by bailed-out Citigroup of course, is New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg's subject on 1010 WINS today.

  He gushes about the program, which like some banks' service areas is limited to Manhattan (not including Harlem or Washington Heights, to say nothing of The Bronx) and nearby gentrified parts of Brooklyn.

  But even beyond that, here's Inner City Press' review of a recent night-time ride, since Bloomberg calls it the City's (or Citi's?) 24/7 transportation network.

  The electronic kiosks from which you check out the bikes can barely be seen and operated at night. A badly put on sticker covered up the slot for credit or debit cards. At least on this try, the machine did not spit out a paper receipt with the check-out code on it. The receipts of previous customers had jammed up the machine.

  Still, the ride was nice, if clunky. Like Citi was and is Too Big to Fail, it'd be easy to find their bikes Too Big to Ride. 

 Checking it back in was no picnic either: it would be easy to walk away thinking the bike was accept, only to have it taken by another and oneself charged $1,000 dollars. Bloomberg might write that off on his taxes. But it would add substantially to the $95 annual membership fee.

These membership are not listed on the kiosks, only 24 hours (for over $10) or one week. Why not a single ride option? Why not docking stations in the redlined zones? Mike? Citi? CitiMike? Watch this site.

On Syria, Reuters Channels UK View, Saudi Arabia & Qatar Airbrushed Out, Pending Access

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- When a grandstanding UN Security press statement goes down, how does it get reported?

  If the draft was by the UK, and the report is by Reuters, it's a decidely one-sided affair. 

  On Saturday evening, after the UK tweeted the existence of its doomed proposal, Reuters dutifully not only blamed Russia for its blockage, but allowed an unnamed "Council diplomat" to "note that Russia continues to sell weapons to Assad's government."

  Fine. But where is the mention of Qatar and Saudi Arabia providing weapons to rebels which include the Al Nusra Front? Not in Reuters' story.

  Meanwhile on CNN's Amanpour, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that the weapons now authorized by the European Union would surely end up in the hands of the strongest of the rebels, that is the Al Nusra Front.

  He said Iran should participate in Geneva II, if and when it happens.

  For the record, and on the record (unlike the Reuters UN bureau's descent into anonymous social media trolling), Inner City Press can respect the UK Mission trying to use Twitter to advocate. It's their job, to push positions.

  But isn't Reuters supposed to be objective journalism, and not just an adjunct of UK foreign policy? Why not mention the other issues? 

  We have more, much more, to say about this worst of Reuters bureaux. But we've been asked to hold fire, on the issue of media workspace and access, until the impending reduction in access that existed in the past is confirmed. Which could be soon. Watch this site.

As UN Moves to Cut Media Access, Questions from Overseas Of Its Partner's Lack of Legitimacy

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- With the UN Security Council mid-move back to its second story chamber at UN Headquarters in New York, and still no media table as existed before and during the relocation, a close observer of the UN has written in from overseas to ask the Free UN Coalition for Access about the (still draft?) Media Access Guidelines:

"How come the United Nations Correspondents Association is participating like some kind of junior partner in helping to formulate the guidelines? Has UNCA called its members in for a general meeting to vote about the guidelines? If there was no general meeting for the guidelines to be discussed by the members of UNCA, who, without being authorized by the members, has signed the agreement between UNCA, DPI, DSS and OSSG?"

  These are pertinent questions, and not only because the answers -- no general membership meeting, UNCA Executive Committee dominated and used by Reuters (through First Vice President Louis Charbonneau), CBS (through absentee president Pamela Falk), Agence France Presse (through Tim Witcher) and others -- show just now debased UNCA has become.

  Rather, it shows how this UN does not care about legitimate process or transparency -- it will work with anyone that supports what it wants to do, and then call it legitimate.

  The Department of Public Information has known for some time that UNCA Executive Committee members were involved in anonymous social media accounts falsely accusing others of being funded by terrorists -- but DPI did nothing.

  DPI's overseer of Media Accreditation, Stephane Dujarric, fields requests to get smaller media thrown out through a non-UN e-mail address. In any other context, a body of the Office of Internal Oversight Services would look into this "Bad Lieutenant" behavior. But not in this UN. Overseer Dujarric is apparently not himself overseen.

  Instead, Dujarric was allowed to take the lead in eliminating media workspace in front of the Security Council. Inner City Press has been reporting on this as a case of big media versus small. Others have opined that this is UNCA Executive Committee members', and Dujarric's, way of "getting back" for articles they have not liked.

  What kind of correspondents association would not only agree to, but lobby for, a reduction in media access? One that is finished. Or, one at the UN.

  Inner City Press asked DPI, and asks again: who drafted and who agreed to this paragraph:

"f. The Security Council stakeout area, including the Turkish Lounge, is not to be used as a permanent workspace for the media. When the Council is not in session, correspondents should minimize the amount of time in the area, unless interviewing or conversing with a U.N. delegate or official."

We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

Footnote: Of Falk, the 2013 president of UNCA, we must again note that when the UN conducted a non-consensual raid on Inner City Press' office on March 18, 2013, Falk stood and ghoulishly took photographs. 

  When the question was raised in writing WHY she should photographs, Falk's response was a legal threat, from her CBSNews.com e-mail account, to cease and desist even asking the question. This is journalism? The question still stands.

On Myanmar, UN "Amends" Ceasefire Error After Inner City Press Report, No Explanation, Banning Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- Even when the UN tries to fix or "amend" one of its errors, does it disclose it and explain what it changed? No.

On May 31 the UN News Center said, of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Myanmar, that "Ban welcomes ceasefire agreement in Kachin."

As Inner City Press wrote and published on May 31, there was a problem: no ceasefire has been agreed to. Inner City Press obtained and put online the actual agreement, here.

On June 1, without further explanation, UN News Center changed its statement, adding that "This article has been amended as of 1 June 2013."

Changed how? Why? The UN does not say. Compare June 1online version, here, to version Inner City Press saved on May 31, here. Screen shots shouldn't be necessary to avoid being deceived by the UN.

  UN News Center is run by the UN Department of Public Information, whose official Stephane Dujarric has, among other things, demanded explanations of a single on the record tweet by Inner City Press while doing nothing about others'. 

  Dujarric told Inner City Press how it should and should not cover and refer to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his chief of Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous. That was attempted censorship, particularly when done by the UN official in charge of UN Media Accreditation.

  It is amazing that a Department of Public Information which seeks to give such "lessons" in journalism would make a major change to an erroneous report -- there WAS no ceasefire agreement -- without disclosing what was changed and why.

  This same DPI and Dujarric are in the process ofeliminating media workspace and a media table in front of the UN Security Council for years. Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have questioned and opposed the planned reduction in media access since they were shown the rules, on May 20.

  Before addressing FUNCA's track change comments, Dujarric replied that there will be no table. No one will say when the rules go into effect, or who beyond the old UN Correspondents Association Executive Committee agreed to them. 

  On May 31, DPI finally tried to justify the refusal to allow a table where it would fit by saying diplomats in the so-called Turkish Lounge would think the press was eavesdropping on them. Some respect for the media, and principles. We'll have more on this.

  There's more to report on Myanmar -- we'd prefer that to be the focus here, rather than having to spend time fighting to maintain was media workspace and access existed before Ban Ki-moon and this DPI -- including that there have been, Myanmar sources tell Inner City Press, no UN aid convoys to the refugee camps in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization since February.

Ban's envoy Vijay Nambiar is supposed to be advocating for this but it appears he has done little about it, the sources say. Meanwhile humanitarian conditions in the camps in KIO controlled areas remain poor. It is now rainy season so water borne disease will definitely be more of a problem. 

 What a good job this UN does - reduce aid and media workspace to report on it, cover up mistakes. Watch this site.

In Dysfunction of Ban Ki-moon's UN, Two Departments Use States to Fight for 12 Budget Posts, Banning Press & Reason

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- Two departments of the UN are fighting over which gets 12 posts or salaries lines. 

  No one in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's office has intervened and made a deicsion, and so the two departments offer favors to particular member states to get their support in the Budget Committee.

  Welcome to dysfunction in Ban Ki-moon's UN.

  No less than the UN Journal reported that the Fifth (Budget) Committee would finish its work on May 31. But that morning, when Inner City Press asked the Committee's chairperson Miguel Berger of Germany if that would happen, he candidly said, "No."

  At 5 pm on Friday Inner City Press checked in with several members of the Committee. Some were derisive of the UAV plan of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve "The Drone" Ladsous for Cote d'Ivoire. 

  But a big fight concerned a proposed power-grab by UN Controller Maria Eugenia Casar "and her peacekeeping budget director."

  The Department of Field Support and the Department of Management, of which the Controller's office is part, were tasked with finding a new way to draft peacekeeping budgets.

  This, multiple sources told Inner City Press, was turned into a "power grab" by Casar, who "made DFS give up twelve posts," and transferred them to her office.

  DFS understandably pushed back; in typically dysfunctional UN fashion the two Departments are now using different member states - in exchange for favor, of course - to press forward their position in the Fifth Committee. Is this any way to run an Organization?

  Meanwhile, apparently to try to avoid detailed press coverage, one thing the UN says it will stand firm on is eliminating media workspace that has existed for years in front of the Security Council. Both before and during the $2 billion renovation (after which there is STILL bad wiring), there was a media table in front of the Security Council. 

But now, despite being shown as recently as May 31 by the Free UN Coalition for Access exactly where one could go, the UN is saying no. Or is letting the move of the Security Council, today, happen without maintaining previous media access. This is Ban's UN.

After UN Tells Inner City Press of Its "Yeoman Work" in Haiti, 19 in US Congress Write to Ban Ki-moon to Differ on Cholera

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- The UN brought cholera to Haiti, denied all legal claims and now refuses questions. On May 29, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey told Inner City Press that in Haiti the UN is doing "yeoman's work."

Minutes before, Ban's chief of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous had explicitly refused to answer Inner City Press' questions about the UN's misdeeds, video here.

  But Del Buey insisted that "the media who have been briefed by [UN envoy] Nigel Fisher seem to think that we are doing quite a bit." And it's those compliant media whom Ladsous invites to private "conversation" about peacekeeping.

   Now 19 members of the US Congress have written to Ban Ki-moon about his non-response to the 5000 legal claims by victims of the UN Peacekeeping bringing cholera into Haiti. 

  Since UN Peacekeeping boss Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to hold the post, won't answer, we'll have to ask Ban's spokesperson's office. They didn't believe Doctors Without Borders - but will they respond to these US Congress members as they jump to the tune of some others?

  The letter concluded, "We therefore urge you to use your office and your influence to ensure that the United Nations takes responsibility for the introduction of cholera into Haiti... and we look forward to your response."

Here's from the UN's May 29 noon briefing transcript:

Inner City Press: the Secretary-General announced this big plan for Haiti for cholera, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And recently, Médecins Sans Frontières, a pretty respected medical group, has said that the program has had absolutely no effect on the ground, they have been very critical of it. Mr. McLean, on the record, has said he has gone back and forth and has seen absolutely zero follow-through from the UN. What’s the UN’s response, to the legal claims of the people that got cholera, and that the other programme that was announced has had no effect? And, I also wanted to ask you, you just witnessed Mr. Ladsous refusing to answer on the Minova rape follow-up. I wanted to know, is this acceptable to the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesperson: Matthew, we’re not going to get involved in your particular problem with Ladsous.

Inner City Press: It’s not a particular problem; he works for Ban Ki-moon.

Deputy Spokesperson: With respect to Haiti… with respect to Haiti, MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] is doing yeoman’s work in trying to bring fresh water, in trying to bring new latrines and trying to bring water purification systems and bringing cholera vaccinations to people. I have seen the reports; we don’t believe the reports. We believe our people. And we know that Nigel Fisher in Haiti has been briefing the media, and that the media who have been briefed by Nigel Fisher seem to think that we are doing quite a bit.

Inner City Press: MSF is just wrong on this?

Deputy Spokesperson: Sorry?

Inner City Press: They, MSF, Médecins Sans Frontières, is wrong? They are just…?

Deputy Spokesperson: I’m not going to comment on what Médecins Sans Frontières has; everyone has their own point of view, and our point of view, we’re doing an awful lot to mitigate the effects of cholera in Haiti.

Inner City Press: Will the Secretary-General…?

Deputy Spokesperson: One more question.

Inner City Press: Would Secretary-General accept Mr. Ladsous not answering any questions about Haiti? Just for example, I’m asking you.

Deputy Spokesperson: Matthew, have a good afternoon, thank you.

  The UN's Department of Public Information, currently intent along with some of the compliant media cited above oneliminating media workspace in front of the UN Security Council that has exists for years, in the transcript above"cleaned up" at least two statements by Ban's spokesman Del Buey.

  Del Buey called the issue of Ladsous refusing to answer "personal," not "particular" as later inserted. And Del Buey initially called Nigel Fischer Mr Nigel "Farmer." If it's fine to clean up the second mis-statement, why leave in all kind of "ah's" and pauses in the questions, to try to make them illegible? This is today's UN. Watch this site.

The 19 members of Congress who wrote to Ban Ki-moon include: Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Yvette D. Clarke, Frederica S. Wilson, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Alcee L. Hastings, Charles B. Rangel, Corrine Brown, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Bobby L. Rush, Wm. Lacy Clay, Raúl M. Grijalva, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, John Lewis, Gregory W. Meeks, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison and Carolyn B. Maloney.