Saturday, April 2, 2016
In S. Sudan, Details of Flight to Juba as UN Retaliates Against Leaks to Inner City Press
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive follow up
UNITED NATIONS, March 30 -- In the UN's continued withholding of news and answers about South Sudan, the reports of the UN's own knowledge of abuses are now being withheld from its own impacted national staff. So Inner City Press has published below multiple leaked documents from inside UNMISS and from non-governmental organizations.
While UN Peacekeeping's antipathy to Inner City Press has been evidence since 2011-12 (under Ladsous), now in the Department of Political Affairs there is a inquiry or witch hunt into who leaked the Yemen envoy's email to Inner City Press.
Amid or because of this reporting on what the UN knows but doesn't say, on February 19 at the demand of UN Under Secretary General for Public Information Cristina Gallach, Inner City Press was thrown out of the UN. Audio here;petition here.
On March 28, Ban Ki-moon's personal lawyer Miguel de Serpa Soares issued an eviction threat against Inner City Press; on March 29, he was listed as one of only three members of a Task Force purporting to clear Ban of involvement in the ongoing UN corruption scandal. We'll have more on this.
On March 30, Inner City Press' sources provided this detailed timeline and specifics:
"The planned movement of 1,370 SPLA-IO soldiers to Juba via Malakal begun yesterday with the first batch 40 soldiers. The entire exercise was conducted in three phases as follows;
Phase 1: Move IO soldiers from Canal to Malakal airport. Escorted was provided by SPLA. No involvement of UNMISS and CTSAMM in this phase.
Phase 2: Processing the soldiers for air movement to Juba.
Phase 3: Air lift by UNMISS aircraft to Juba.
Phase 2 Details
The 40 SPLA –IO soldiers arrived at the airport at 13:00 hrs. The following senior SPLA and SPLA-IO officers led the escort from Canal to Malakal airport:
Maj Gen John Maluit – SPLA LO
Maj Gen Samuel Mayiik – SPLA Acting Div 2 Comd
Brig Gen Makuol Ajand – SPLA Chief Operations
Col Abraham Komye - SPLA
Brig Gen Peter Pur Nienkel – SPLA-IO
The senior officers were at the airport throughout the process. The Deputy Governor was also at the airport to welcome and bid troops farewell to Juba.
CTSAMM carried out the process of verification, clearing weapons and putting them in boxes. UNDSS – prepared weapon manifest, manual luggage search and body screening. UNDSS also served as a point of contact between escort team and UNMISS team at the airport.
Break down of details as follows:
Number of soldiers – 40
No. of weapons – 33 AK 47
No. pistol - 01
No. of ammo (7.62 x 39 mm) – 6,754 rounds
Ammo for pistol (9mm) – 28 rounds
The exercise ended without any incident at 15:30 hrs. The aircraft departed Malakal at 16:00 hrs for Juba.
The movement is expected to run daily from 28 Mar to 7 Apr 16 except 2 and 3 Apr 16 (given Juba airport’s closed at weekends)."
On the "unrest" in the UN's Juba camp, Inner City Press has these reports from its sources:
"The IDPs told the guards don't treat us like animals. We need water and food... UN is very nervous, and it’s very clear to all they didn't know what to do or how to handle situation which is still tense and growing. UNMISS and some UN organs are fearing leaks of info now as it’ll again put them in 'bad light.' Accepting they’re trying to suppress info, it’s a bit late as international banks passed word and it was all over Nairobi and Kampala news this am just after weekly Church services concluded and now in regional media."
And, internal UNMISS:
"At around 11:30hrs fighting broke out between IDP communities in POC 1 at the UN House in Juba. FPU and CHINBATT were deployed to control the situation. Around 1800hrs the situation flared up again resulting in about 200 IDPs moving into the UN House compound specifically around the staff accommodation areas. Additional troops were deployed to patrol the staff accommodation area to ensure staff safety and control the movement of the IDPs. Currently the IDPs have refused to go to PoC 3 and are being kept at the humanitarian gate under force protection.
Advisory: GREY ALERT Status have been declared in the affected areas, especially at the Humanitarian Gate and PoC1. Staff are advised to restrict movement to the affected areas until further notice.”
SRSG Loj needed to have Chinese armed guards surrounding her compound. Their lack of reporting into public mainstream is one thing, but they’re unable to hide the reality within their internal sit reps given after 18.00 hrs (LT) there are effectively no go zones that the UN doesn’t monitor due to armed groups of SPLA-IG (in civilian clothes etc)
On March 22, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq:
Inner City Press: In South Sudan, there are reports that, beyond what occurred in Malakal… and if you have any update on the investigation particularly of the shooting by… reported shooting by UN peacekeepers of people seeking shelter that was alleged by the IDPs (internally displaced persons) themselves, this would be the time. There are reports of weapons in other protection of civilians sites, and the allegation by IDPs is that the UN is not conducting searches for the weapons out of deference to the Government and majority groups in these states. And so I wanted to know, can you say whether UNMISS, in light of what has happened in Malakal, has begun weapons searches in the other POC (protection of civilians) camps that it maintains?
Deputy Spokesman: The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) does what it can to try to keep a peaceful and weapons-free atmosphere in all of the protection of civilians sites. There's a logistical challenge about that, given the sheer number of people in all of those areas. We've said this many, many times, and we'll say it again, but there was never a capacity by a UN peacekeeping mission to take care of tens of thousands of people at different sites for long periods of time. To their credit, they've done that. And to their credit, those sites have remained largely peaceful for several years. But it is a challenge. And given the amount of space in those camps and the amount of people living there, it's a… it's something that will continue to be a challenge.
Inner City Press: Given what's happened in Malakal, is the Secretary-General seeking additional resources from the Fifth Committee or otherwise to actually do searches given that people used weapons smuggled into the camp to commit murders in Malakal?
Deputy Spokesman: As for the Malakal issue, that's continuing to be reviewed. Like I said, that there is both a review by UNMISS and by Headquarters, and we'll have to see what the results of those are.
One of those behind the ouster of Inner City Press - and laughing and filming it on February 19 - was Voice of America, which tried in 2012 to get Inner City Press out of the UN by writing to UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, here. In 2016 the same VOA scribes has become an anonymous troll, defending UN corruption and ouster. Is BBG in on this? US tax dollars at work.
Ironically, today Voice of America reports inaccurately from South Sudan that the SPLA - IO is to have 3,000 troops in Juba. VOA error here. But the number is under 2,000 -- VOA is apparently conflating police that are to go elsewhere in the country. In any event, the cantonment sites have yet to be built; one proposal, near Juba, would put them in the direct line of fire of the SPLG - IG. We'll have more on this.
Inner City Press' UN Pass was confiscated and its files seized. Questions sent to Gallach and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric have still not been answered. A new ouster occurred on March 10, video here.
Nevertheless, and pending reversal of Gallach's no due process order, Inner City Press continues with its exclusive reporting, this time from Akobo in Jonglei State, on which the UN is silent. Inner City Press early on the morning of on March 14 exclusively published an NGO email about problems in Akobo, then asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it. UN transcript:
Inner City Press: an email among NGOs there that in Akobo in Jonglei State, there had been an 800 per cent increase in revenge killings and that several NGO staff have gone into hiding but haven't seen anything from UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] about this. And I'm wondering, what is… I understand, I guess, UNMISS doesn't report on some of the fighting, deferring to some website you've cited, but when actually humanitarian workers are as… as… as frightened as this email shows, what is UNMISS doing?
Spokesman Dujarric: Well, I'm happy to look into the issue. I have not received any reports from UNMISS.
An NGO in Akobo had just written, as obtained exclusively by Inner City Press:
"“Revenge killings have normally averaged 1 a month since 2013 but this week there were nearly 8 revenge killings.
2. [NGO 1] had one staff killed as a result of revenge killings. [NGO 1] has been on lockdown since yesterday.
3. One [NGO 2] staff is still in hibernation since last week due to issues related to revenge killings.
4. One [NGO 2] staff has been evacuated from Dengok
5. [NGO 3] member evacuated from Akobo to Juba after realizing he was insecure.
6. [NGO 4] Field Manager has been evacuated to Juba due to security concerns.
7. During this dry season, there is high mobility resulting in some of the perpetrators coming into Akobo from various parts such as Walgak.
8. There was suggestion that head of NGOs arrange to meet the commissioner to express concern on the deteriorating security situation. [Individual 1] to take lead.
9. The Bieh State IO Governor, Deputy Governor, several Generals and Akobo Commissioner are all in Akobo. The Governor, the deputy and the generals are planning on moving to Waat anytime soon.
10. UNHCR Protection team is in Akobo to assess the Payams for the possibility of relocation of people from Juba. Approximately 300 people may be relocated.
11. Verification of IDPs from kaikuny may start next week Monday, [NGO 2] to take lead but would appreciate participation of other agencies."
We'll stay on this.
On March 11, the UN released a report on South Sudan -- given to insider scribes under embargo, apparently in exchange for coverage not critical of UNMISS -- which while detailing many of the abuses was silent, at least in Prince Zeid's gloss, on the UN's many failings.
It concludes, without apparent irony, by urging "that the freedoms of opinion and expression are guaranteed" -- this while Ban's and Gallach's UN throw the Press into the street, repeatedly, as it reports on the UN's failings.
Inner City Press asked UN officials Ivan Simonovic and David Marshall about this, including the UN's ouster without due process, on March 11, video here from Minute 22:20.
Inner City Press asked if the UN's ouster undermines its credibility or consistency in raising press freedom issues. (As Inner City Press asked, the two UNCA representatives present cut in, video here at Minute 23:40; spokesman Dujarric did nothing despite the "civility" rule USG Gallach cited against Inner City Press, to oust it.)
Simonovic replied, I got your mail and I will respond, after checking facts.
Simonovic, on Inner City Press' Malakal question, said it is good it is being investigated, asking why arms were in the camp, how uniformed men penetrated the camp and what the UN did about property burned down. (He did not mention reports that the UN Peacekeepers SHOT civilians.)
Marshall said the score of the report was violations by the state and non-state actors. Why not the UN?
Here are some of the omissions in the report:
Sexual assault in UNMISS camp;
Upper Nile: No mention of chemical agent aerial bombardment by UPDF air assets on civilians in IO territory which Inner City Press raised late last year;
CES : No real coverage of use of chemical agents used in Wonduruba. JMEC’s MVM denied entry via Juba-Yei road,
Ransacking of parts of Yambio town by SPLA and no UNMISS patrols. etc.
On March 8 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about more UN cover up, including in Pibor and meeting with governors of the 28 "new" states.UN transcript.
On March 9, Inner City Press asked Dujarric's Deputy Farhan Haq about more fighting, in Nasir. From the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: On South Sudan, I'd asked Stéphane yesterday about reported fighting in Pibor and people fleeing, seeking protection. Now there's a report in the town of Nasir of significant fighting between SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] and SPLA in Opposition and maybe a third force there. What is UNMISS' [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] knowledge? I saw they did a press conference, but it seems like all of the questions were about International Women's Day. What's the state of their knowledge of the fighting in Pibor, Nasir and elsewhere in the country?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we certainly were informed that they're looking into the reports of fighting in Pibor. I don't have any details to give yet, but they are looking into it. And if they have details about the latest reported fighting, we'll share that with you in subsequent days.
But when Dujarric returning with a canned statement on March 10, it was to cover up Pibor; nothing on Nasir.
A group of community leaders in Malakal sent UNMISS a detailed complaint about the killings there, including that UNMISS did nothing despite being told in advance to impose preventive measures. See here and here and here, as exclusively published by Inner City Press.
The letter says that UNMISS shot five people seeking safety in the UN "Protection of Civilians" site, and some died.
At the March 3 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about this, UN transcript here.
In the hours after, nothing.
On UNMISS' failure to search for weapons, entirely ignored or covered up at the UN Security Council on February 19, here is a first-hand account exclusively provided to Inner City Press:
"“Peacekeepers were given info 2 days ago as was info passed out raising concerns. IDPs (Shilluk and Nuer elders raised this direct with UNMISS at the time of being aware of info. UN sat on it until first incident erupted. That came about as Padiang dinka 'IDP' walked passed UN contracted gate guards (Warrior Security I think) with significant volume of ammunition for weapons and was stopped by Shilluk IDPs. Fight broke out, Padiang dinka killed and ammunition given to UN.
According to the information obtained from the camp, this problem started day before yesterday when UNMISS Protection Security Officers received sufficient security report that Dinka Internally Displaced Persons staying in Malakal UNMISS Protection Camp received illegal weapons smuggled from main town center into IDPs camp by their tribe security agents controlling the town since first week of July 2015 when SPLA- IO withdrew tactically from Malakal town. UNMISS protection soldiers wanted to conduct the search for illegal weapons smuggled inside the protection camp but Dinka Internally Displaced Persons refused to allow UNMISS Security to conduct the search for weapons then the attack happened last night at 8:00pm.”
Here is another internal email exclusively leaked to and published by Inner City Press, with names redacted for obvious reasons:
"From FAO Wau
From Wau: Subject: Serious Security Situation in Wau
Dear XXX
I hereby wish inform you about a serious security situation we are currently experiencing in Wau since yesterday evening.
Indeed security has been recently shaky in Wau and vicinity, but yesterday it worsened to the extent that many of our staff members had to seek for a refuge at night at the UNMISS compound.
Since this morning, all the vehicles are grounded at the office, as no driver could move and there is no authorization for any vehicle to move out of the UNMISS compound.
We are in contact with the FSCO, although no information has been circulated so far. With regards, XXXX”"The full document we have put online here. A quote:
In March 2014, a labelling error was discovered whilst transporting containers loaded with duty equipment for the UN Ghanaian peacekeepers in Unity State which brought strained relations to even a lower point. The error was exploited to galvanise hostility towards the UN in favour of the government by falsely presenting the UN as supplying weaponry to the opposition. It took elaborate interventions, investigations
and communications to clear the false impression that this created.
[ICP note: the same type of "labeling" or "clerical" error occure this months with weapons headed to MONUSCO. This is what UN Peacekeeping has become under Herve Ladous, who linked peacekeepers' rapes to "R&R, here.]
We'll have more on this.
Lax Coverage of Ban Ki-moon's Task Force Ignores Ban's Role, South South News
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 29 -- The UN's unwillingness to address the obvious corruption of South South News, to which it has given awards and Ban Ki-moon photo ops via its UN Correspondents Association, and whose Ng Lap Seng bought documents from Ban's Secretariat, became even more clear on March 29 -- though not in the UN's favored media.
Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric read out a statement that Ban's “Task Force” report on corruption had been circulated, limited to structural flaws in the Office of the President of the General Assembly.
Inner City Press, facing eviction from the UN for seeking to cover an event by one of Ng's and South South News' fundees, UNCA, in the UN Press Briefing Room, immediately asked why Ban wasn't studying corruption in his own Secretariat. Video here.
Dujarric said there are two audits on that - but then despite having said the audits would be public in March, said he “thought” they would be withheld for some weeks more. This factoid made it into some stories, without context.
But mostly, the wire services portrayed the UN corruption scandal as only about the PGA's office, although the criminal complaint shows Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat falsifying documents for the Macau conference center.
AFP, for example, reports that "The damaging scandal prompted Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a task force that would make recommendations for improving transparency." AFP does not say that the three member Task Force including Ban's chief of staff and Ban's personal lawyer Miguel de Serpa Soares, for whom to find that Ban's Secretariat was involved in corrupt would violate his duty as Ban's lawyer.
Even worse, while Reuters mentions Vivian Wang being indicted, it does NOT mention she was Vice President of South South News which has given money, and gotten Ng Lap Seng a photo with Ban through, the UN Correspondents Association on whose executive committee Reuters has a permanent seat, for years.
Is this a conflict of interest in reporting?
In full disclosure, Reuters' UN bureau chief has previously asked Stephane Dujarric, now Ban's spokesman, to throw Inner City Press out of the UN,document here, attempt to censor, here.
And AFP, albeit its former correspondent, also tried to get Inner City Press, FOIA document here; AFP still holds a seat on the executive committee of UNCA, which has lobbied UN official Cristina Gallach to oust Inner City Press from its office.
Inner City Press asked current PGA Mogens Lykketoft's spokesperson Dan Thomas if Lykketoft could just order the audits released. Thomas said he doesn't have the audits - which is strange.
Or not. When Inner City Press got a copy of Ban's report, it found from Footnote 1 that among the three members of the Task Force were Ban's chief of staff Edmond Mulet and Ban's personal lawyer, Miguel de Serpa Soares (who in full disclosure on March 28 issued a threat of imminent eviction to Inner City Press,here.)
Of course such a Task Force of Friends would not find any problem with Ban's own conduct. But Ban took the photo op with Ng; his spouse and his senior adviser Vijay Nambiar attended the founding of Sheri Yan's Global Sustainability Foundation. Nothing from Ban's Task Force Friends on that.
Instead there are proposal such as that perhaps PGAs should make financial disclosure. But most of Ban's senior officials do not make even their rudmentary financial disclosure forms public.
Ban claim to be for transparency, but allows this, then picks his friends to study corruption.
Ban though Dujarric claims to be for free press, while his Under Secretary General for Communications Cristina Gallach threw the Press out into the street on two hours notice with no due process, and his lawyer Serpa Soares, after self-servingly clearing Ban of corruption issued a treat of eviction to Inner City Press citing immunity. Impunity, indeed. We'll have more - watch this site.
From the UN's March 29 transcript:
Inner City Press: I want to ask you about, about the announcement you made at the top about the John Ashe/Frank Lorenzo/Sheri Yan… you called it the John Ashe case, but it's obviously a series of indictments.
Spokesman: I mean, I didn't call… I just used John Ashe as a point of reference and I said John Ashe and others.
Inner City Press: What I want to ask about is the Secretariat itself. It seems like this task force, the way you've presented it, is entirely about flaws in the structure of the PGA's office. But, as I'm sure you know, in the criminal complaint, there's a number of portions where it talks about bribery or misdoings by UN Secretariat officials. In paragraph 40, it talks about a DGCAM official…
Spokesman Dujarric: I'm well aware of the complaint.
Inner City Press: yesterday, you'd said nobody knew that South-South News and David Ng were problematic. And since then I've learned that there's a memo by Éric Falt, then D-2 of DPI, about David Ng. I'd also like to show you this. This was an ad taken by David Ng South-South News after which Ban Ki-moon did a photo op with David Ng. So I wanted to know, what is Ban-Ki… how is it possible that if documents existed in the UN system contemporaneous with Ban Ki-moon's interaction with a now indicted David Ng or Ng Lap Seng that it took place, and what does it say about weaknesses of the Secretariat, and who is going to do a report on that?
Spokesman: There is an audit of… that is ongoing of the relationship with David Ng and his various NGOs. That audit has been done. It is available for Member States to be shared. And according to OIOS' existing rules and regulations, it will be made public, I think, within a couple of weeks. From that, we will see where that goes on. Again, not to beat old horses with whatever one beats old horses with, but it was not a… there was no official photo op with the Secretary-General and the gentleman you mentioned. He obviously came up to the Secretary-General, took a photo.
Inner City Press: It was taken upstairs at Cipriani. I have video…
Spokesman: I understand. You and I have different views.
Question: No, different view of a video? I just have one question, because it seems like Ban Ki-moon has done a report on another part of the UN system…
Spokesman: Matthew, I think I just answered your question.
Inner City Press: You didn't. There's an audit…
Spokesman: An audit has been done. It's done. Member States…
Inner City Press: There's an audit as opposed to a report. I'm just asking. Finish, please.
Spokesman: Okay. It's an audit. It's available with Member States. If further investigations need to be done following that audit, they will be done. What the Secretary-General's task force examined, in fact, and it talked to, I think, almost all, a whole number of, as you will read it yourself in the report, a number of former Presidents of the General Assembly. It's about structural issues and the weaknesses of the Office as they then existed.
Inner City Press: But, are you saying there's no structural weaknesses…?
Spokesman: I will come…
Inner City Press: …Secretariat?
Spokesman: As I said, there is an audit, and whatever else needs to be done afterwards, it will be done. Mr. Reuters.
Question: Thank you, Stéph. I wanted to follow up on Benny's question. It sounds like with these… you've had several statements about the use of the word "occupation".
O. As Inner City Press was staking out the UN Security Council meeting on March 24 about Western Sahara and Morocco's ordering out of the UN Peacekeeping mission there, a figure rarely seen at the stakeout approached.
Giampaolo Pioli the head of the UN Correspondents Association came over to where Inner City Press was typing and editing audio and video and said, “You're an asshole.”
Moments later, Inner City Press now with its UN accreditation pass downgraded to Non-Resident Correspondent by UN Department of Public Information chief Cristina Gallach at the behest of Pioli went to ask UN Security not to lock the glass door to the Security Council before the Council's president spoke at the stakeout.
As Inner City Press asked the guard not to lock the door to journalists, UNCA's Pioli again said, “You're an asshole. I'm telling you that you're an asshole. Quote me.” Audio here.
What's behind this? How did a journalists club turn into a club against a journalist, and why? Beyond Pioli's financial relationship with Palitha Kohona, who as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN Pioli unilaterally granted a "UN" screening of a war crimes denial film, there is for example the matter of South South News.
South South News is depicted in the October 2015 criminal complaint against John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Frank Lorenzo and others as a vehicle for bribery, to the tune of $12 million.
UNCA under Pioli took SSN's money, and gave its funding Ng Lap Sent a photo op with Ban Ki-moon. But Pioli's UNCA also gave South South News a "journalism award," and SSN in term featured videos of Pioli, here - and of Pioli's tenant Kohona, here.
SSN video at 0:29 features Lorenzo (guilty plea) and Wang (indicted)
John Ashe's former spokesperson is a member of UNCA; a SSN anchor, too. These are among the reasons that Inner City Press sought -- facing retaliation - and seeks and will continue to seek to cover this corrupted organization, as part of the wider and expanding UN corruption scandal. Watch this site.
Pioli and his rental of one of his apartments to an accused war criminal, involved in Sri Lanka's notorious White Flag killings, then screening of his tenant's film, played a key role.
But there have been many enablers, among the Gulf and Western media on UNCA's board; there are been others to the very top of the UN who have benefited from and left unchecked this war on investigative journalism.
This as Pioli's UNCA took money from now-indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News, gave SSN a journalism award and Ng a photo op with Ban Ki-moon. After after the indictments, Pioli was selling half-tables with Ban for $6,000 on Wall Street in December 2015. That Ban's UN tries to shield this from coverage is telling.
To try to oust or wipe out coverage of failure in Sri Lanka and more recently Burundi and Yemen to name but two is, of course, convenient, as well as stopping or hindering aggressive coverage of the expanding UN scandal in this waning year.
Inner City Press spoke and speaks out when Reuters took stories without credit, even claimed "exclusives" for things earlier published by Inner City Press. Reuters bureau chief made an anti-Press filing with the UN's Stephane Dujarric. Then when it was leaked, he wrote as Reuters to Google to get it blocked from Search, ostensibly as copyrighted. "His" reporter has been worse, in ways.
Margaret Besheer of Voice of America, who after being exposed in 2012 and her bosses saying in writing their attempt to oust Inner City Press for her was wrong -- is at it again. She was standing pre-positioned at the UN gate on February 19, 2016 when Inner City Press was physically thrown out. These are tax dollars at work, violating the First Amendment.
There are more - former AFP, the current ones hardly better - and others who just follow along. Now their "leader" Pioli has come to the stakeout, not to report anything - he rarely does - but to loudly call a critic, who actually writes stories, an "asshole." And not one of them did anything. At the UN the journalists' club has become a club against a journalist.
Photo of Pioli at UNCA Ball, credit UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
Inner City Press replied that it believed and believes Pioli is corrupt, that he took rent money from Palitha Kohona then unilaterally granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador for an UNCA / “UN” screening of his government's war crimes denial film, “Lies Agreed To.” And that Pioli after demanding censorship of Inner City Press' coverage has used UNCA and now DPI to try to throw Inner City Press out of the UN, just as Pioli first threatened.
Ban with Pioli, who told Inner City Press, "You are an asshole." Credit UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Another UNCA board member -- Inner City Press quit its elected position on that board in 2012, saying openly that Pioli was corrupt, now in taking money from indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News and granting him a photo op with Ban Ki-moon -- said such language should not be used at the stakeout.
But it was Pioli who approached Inner City Press, which hasn't willingly spoke with Pioli in more than a year.
So it is for this person that Cristina Gallach first ordered Inner City Press out of the UN on two hours notice on February 19 and on whom she has since leaned in trying to defend her February 19 decision, which was reached without once speaking with Inner City Press.
Ban shakes with Cristina Gallach, who threw ICP out of UN on Feb 19, 2016 on 2 hours notice. Credit UN Photo
Her rationale was that Inner City Press secretly filmed a closed meeting, but that doesn't stand up: the meeting was nowhere listed as closed, and Inner City Press openly live-streamed and even live Tweeted it: hardly secret.
So the fallback argument was that since Inner City Press covered the UNCA event in the UN Press Briefing Room from one of the glassed-in interpreters' booths, in order to avoid just such a response as Pioli's “asshole” on March 24, it had violated some as-yet unproduced rule about not being in an interpreters booth.
But on March 23 Inner City Press observed and filmed two non-interpreters in the “other” interpreters booth in the UN Press Briefing Room while UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq read out statements and did NOTHING about the use of the interpreters booth.
On March 24, Inner City Press asked Haq about it, from the UN Transcript
On his way out of the UN Press Briefing Room, Haq said to Inner City Press, “Liar.” This is the atmosphere created, when DPI and the Spokesperson's office have allowed a character like Pioli, angry at coverage of his financial dealings with Sri Lanka's ambassador, to essentially run the asylum.
It seems clear now that there must be a complete reversal of Gallach's February 19 order, based on false facts (closed meeting, “secret” filming), a dubious rule and at the behest of an UNCA boss who barely writes articles, seeks to control UN office space and comes to the UN Security Council stakeout to call a critic an asshole. We'll have more on this.
UN Says It Talks A Lot About Free Press, As Moves to Evict Inner City Press
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 29 -- On February 19 without once speaking to Inner City Press, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Under Secretary General for Public Information, Spain's Cristina Gallach, ordered the Press to leave the UN, which it has covered for ten years, in two hours.
On March 28, Ban's Under Secretary General for Legal Affairs, Portugal's Miguel de Serpa Soares, issued a second eviction threat, repeating, either without checking or caring, the lie that Inner City Press has full access. His false letter is now online here; it was also cc-ed to Stephen Mathias, Antigoni Axenidou and Jay Pozenel, along with USG Cristina Gallach.
On March 29, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the letter and its claims, video here,UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: the very thing we were just discussing, South-South News and funding of the UN Correspondents Association is what I was covering on 29 January for which I'm being thrown out. But, my question has to do with a letter from Miguel de Serpa Soares, who seems to say that there's absolutely no right including a due process right or even a freedom of speech non-retaliation right to accreditation and/or resident accreditation status in the UN. And I know it's a topic that was raised to you when you were in DPI [Department of Public Information] by the New York Civil Liberties Union when they asked, what are the standards? So, given that Mr [Serpa Soares] he's a lawyer. He's the head of the UN OLA. He's Ban Ki-moon's personal lawyer. Is it the case that there are, in fact, no rights at all for journalists in the UN, that “privileges” and abilities to report can be stripped without any review, without any right to be heard? And if so, how is that consistent with your policies…
Spokesman: I think, Matthew, if you'll allow me then to violate your client privilege, because you're obviously quoting from a letter that was sent to your lawyer.
Inner City Press: I'm waiving it right now because I find it so laughable that I'm asking you…
Spokesman: Ok. I'm glad… well, I'm glad you do.
Inner City Press: Please.
Spokesman: The Secretary-General and the UN system stand for freedom of the press. I think we spend quite a lot of time here… I happily spend a lot of time here answering… answering questions. There is no right to an office. Offices here are provided free of charge to UN resident correspondents. Some may have issues with the media guidelines as they are, but they are what they are. Anybody who accepts a pass signs on to them, agrees to them, whether they're resident correspondents or non-resident correspondents. If there is maybe a need to review those guidelines, that is fine, but they are not secret guidelines. They are what they are. I think we spent a lot of time and effort, as we should, in answering questions from the media and in defending freedom of the press, as I am doing this very minute.
Inner City Press: The guidelines that you quote don't have any reference to interpreter's booth. I've looked… I've read them a number of times…
Spokesman: Matthew.
Inner City Press: … and that's what's being cited. This is the question that I want to ask you since you say… you do speak a lot about freedom of the press. But, it seems extraordinary that an attempt to cover a meeting related to an expanding UN corruption scandal can result in… in the ejection… please.
Spokesman: You and I… you and I…
Inner City Press: I love it. I love it.
Spokesman: You and I have different interpretations.
Correspondent: No, and here's the question I want to ask you. You seem to say… I'm not asking about an office. Did you hear me say the word "office"? I said, since resident correspondent accreditation status alone gets you through the turnstile on the second floor so that, if you don't have it, you cannot cover meetings in ECOSOC, Trusteeship…
Spokesman: Matthew, you have…
Inner City Press: It is… I'm asking you…
Spokesman: You have the access that you have.
Inner City Press: No, it's not…
Spokesman: We stand for the freedom of the press and…
Inner City Press: You do not. You do not.
Spokesman: …accommodate journalists. And, Dan, if you'd like to come up and answer questions, I'd be happy, otherwise, we are done.
Inner City Press: What is the recourse for retaliation for journalists? Where do they file in the UN system since you're immune as Mr. de Serpa says, immune from any legal process?
This was not answered.
In fact, on March 21 Inner City Press was Banned from covering the UN Security Council (video here, online days before de Serpa Soares' false claim); on March 24, at Gallach's demand, Inner City Press was told it had to have a minder to remain at the Council stakeout. Some "free access."
So who IS this Miguel de Serpa Soares? We'll have more - but as previously reportedly, Ban gave Gallach the USG of DPI job, despite her having managed nor more than seven staff before absurdly being put atop 700 at UN DPI. Ladsous of France, atop DPKO? He is a global laughingstock. Now it's Serpa Soares turn.
Ban Ki-moon's UN is corrupt. And we're being diplomatic for now putting it that way.
All this took place as Inner City Press covered the South South News and South South Awards bribery scandals implicating both Ban and Gallach, as well as having former President of the UN General Assembly John Ashe, Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng and South South News VP Vivian Wang under house arrest. (Frank Lorenzo, Sheri Yan and others have pleaded guilty.)
On March 28, Inner City Press asked Ban's lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, as garbled by his UN transcript:
Inner City Press: the letter that I received that put me out on the street and has kept me from my office has, quotes a thing about civility and professionalism. And while I was at the stakeout on 24 March, I was approached by the President of the UN Correspondents Association who’s here in the [inaudible] and was told four times, “You are an A-hole.” This was said loudly. This was said on the microphone. What I don’t understand is, if I was thrown out for trying to cover a meeting in this room, how is it professional or civil to come to the stakeout and to say, “You are an A-hole” four times? And what’s going to be done about it?
Spokesman: Matthew.
Inner Cit Press: Question.
Spokesman: I think — let me just, and this and hopefully the last I will say about it today. What happened to you with your pass had to do with events that took place here. Obviously, you and I don’t agree on what actually happened. I’m not one to judge people on their use of language.
Inner City Press: Do you understand…
Spokesman: I…
[inaudible]
Inner City Press: This booth was used in your absence on 23 March. Two individuals were in the interpreter’s booth…
Spokesman: It…
[inaudible]
Inner City Press: How is this…
[inaudible]
Spokesman: It was — first of all, from what I understand, they weren’t hiding, and it was a mistake.
Inner City Press: I wasn’t hiding either. I never… I was never asked if I was hiding.
[inaudible]
Spokesman: I’m done.
As some point, the UN's refusal to transcribe is itself censorship.
Since February 19, any basis other than retaliation for Gallach's ouster order has fallen apart. The meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room that Inner City Press openly live-streamed on Periscope was nowhere listed as closed. The UN either has no rule against use of the interpreters' booth in the UN Press Briefing Room, or as seen on March 23, does not enforce it.
But today's UN system has no self-correcting mechanism.
On March 28, Ban's top lawyer Miguel de Serpa Soares belated responded to two separate lawyer's letters not with little more than another threat - to physically remove and presumably search Inner City Press' eight years of files - and an unqualified assertion of the UN's immunity like he asserts for 10,000 people killed by the UN in Haiti. This is Ban's UN.
Earlier on March 28, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric didn't even bother to explain why Inner City Press was being thrown out for "incivility" while the head of the UN Correspondents Association Giampaolo Pioli was allowed to four time loudly call Inner City Press "an asshole" at the UN Security Council stakeout on March 24.
That the use of an interpreters' booth was Gallach's supposed reason for the ouster - not mentioned in de Serpa Soares letter - was undercut when Dujarric's Deputy Farhan Haq did nothing when two non-interpreters used an interpretation booth in the same room. Dujarric called that a "mistake" and cut off Inner City Press' question.
Today's UN is corrupt and lawless: it does not even deign to explain or hide its double standards or retaliation. Nor its censorship: under Gallach's order, DPI personnel order Inner City Press to leave the UN Security Council stakeout on March 24 so as to not fully cover the meeting on Western Sahara.
Spain, whose highest UN official Gallach is, took the position that the Council should not speak out against Morocco throwing out the MINURSO mission (a larger version of Gallach's ouster of Inner City Press). Gallach is censoring covering of Western Sahara, or trying assign minders as it is being reported.
This is Ban Ki-moon's "Communications."
On March 26 Inner City Press raised to Ban's senior advisers, and Ban's account, the UNCA anonymous troll social media accounts that Gallach and Dujarric at a minimum follow. One of Ban's closest officials, instead of acting on the issues raised, replied, "I have passed on your latest email to those assigned to deal with this issue."
Tellingly the troll accounts immediately stopped -- have THEY been assigned to "deal with this issue"? Or, at a minimum, goes Gallach know exactly who they are, and how to reach them?
(One of the two troll accounts revived itself more than 24 hours later, claiming now to a collective - UNCA board? - and to know know who the other, more active, account belongs to. We'll have more on this.)
What triggered de Serpa Soares belated response? On March 23, when de Serpa Soares was on one of his countless coffee runs with the same colleague to the Delegates' Lounge, Inner City Press politely asked him if he'd gotten a February 29 letter. He said no; Inner City Press offered him a courtesy hard copy, which he refused.
Ban and his evicter in chief, de Serpa Soares, UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
He and Gallach were then re-emailed the February 29 letter and another one in preparation, citing applicable US law. Even though this status was explained, the idea of accountability is apparently anathema to today's UN. Hence his March 28 renewed threat: Ban Ki-moon as evicter. Watch this site.
Even when UN officials senior to Gallach are shown what she has done - and that it is further hurting the UN's reputation for example in northern Sri Lanka, among some concerned with Yemen, and Burundi, and Western Sahara Press coverage of which Gallach has hindered, they do nothing.
Some, it has become clear, are happy Inner City Press' reporting has been hindered - that reporting in some cases is into their involvement in UN corruption.
Several senior UN officials close to Ban Ki-moon have not only like him been close with Ng Lap Seng's, Frank Lorenzo's and Vivian Wang's South South News (March 24 video here) - they were for example at the very founding of Sheri Yan's Global Sustainability Foundation, one of two groups that even Ban has seen the need to (self) audit.
But as the scandal expands, one telling response has been to simply refer Inner City Press and its evidence back to Gallach herself.
As Inner City Press has replied, the concerns it has been raising include (1) conflict of interest by USG Gallach, (2) the seeming use of the punitive powers of her office to retaliate against Inner City Press' reporting, (3) her and her affiliates' misrepresentation of Inner City Press' restricted access to report, (4) a total lack of due process by her office and (5) lack of any UN process of appeal from her decision.
In this context, merely forwarding complaints and proof to USG Gallach is, clearly, not enough. In fact, it further shows just now broken today's UN is.
Gallach's letter cited an incident on January 29.
In that “incident,” Inner City Press openly sought to cover a meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room of an organization which had taken money from South South News, whose honorary president Frank Lorenzo has pleaded guilty to bribery charges as his vice president Vivian Wang has been indicted and funder Ng Lap Seng -- given a photo op with Ban Ki-moon by UNCA - remains under house arrest.
To seek to cover such a meeting is journalism.
By contrast, UNCA chief Giampaolo Pioli, who lobbied Gallach to throw Inner City Press out, came to the UN Security Council stakeout on Western Sahara and loudly and repeatedly called Inner City Press “an asshole.” Audio here.Gallach's February 19 letter citing some rule about civility. Will she enforce it on Pioli?
After the Western Sahara meeting, Gallach tweeted to a questioner from New Zealand who asked, “why did you remove the accreditation of Inner City Press?” Gallach replied, photo here, that “I did not! ICP is fully accredited! Can report from UN.?His privilege to use office was taken out, due to misbehavior.” Photo of Gallach's tweet here.
This is false. On March 21, Inner City Press was unable to reach the stakeout of the UN Security Council on Western Sahara as it had been able, until Gallach's decision of February 19. And on March 25, the moment Security Council president Gaspar Martins finished reading out the elements to the press - and Inner City Press but not the swearing UNCA boss Pioli asked him a question -- UN DPI staff told Inner City Press to leave the stakeout, even as diplomats remain.
Inner City Press said that to report on the meeting, it need to speak to the diplomats, many of whom has in the past spoken with in on background. But now with its Gallach-reduced pass, DPI staff said Inner City Press required an “escort” or minder to remain on the second floor.
What diplomat desiring to speak on background about Ban Ki-moon's questionable performance on Western Sahara would do so in view of a minder from Ban's Secretariat? It is FALSE that Inner City Press is fully accredited.
Furthermore, the “misbehavior” repeatedly citing by Gallach illusory. UNCA should have have been trying to hold a “closed” meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room - even Francois Hollande could not do that - and the event was nowhere listed as closed. Inner City Press live tweeted and live streamed it openly, from the booth in the back to avoid the heckling of Pioli's gang.
Dispositively, on March 23 UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq did nothing when two non interpreters were in the interpretation booth during the noon briefing. There is no clear rule, at least none that is enforced.
But compared to this disagreement, isn't coming to the UN Security Council stakeout to loudly call another reporter “an asshole” misbehavior? Gallach's ruling must be reversed. Watch this site.
On March 24 as Inner City Press was staking out the UN Security Council meeting about Western Sahara and Morocco's ordering out of the UN Peacekeeping mission there, a figure rarely seen at the stakeout approached.
Giampaolo Pioli the head of the UN Correspondents Association came over to where Inner City Press was typing and editing audio and video and said, “You're an asshole.”
Moments later, Inner City Press now with its UN accreditation pass downgraded to Non-Resident Correspondent by UN Department of Public Information chief Cristina Gallach at the behest of Pioli went to ask UN Security not to lock the glass door to the Security Council before the Council's president spoke at the stakeout.
As Inner City Press asked the guard not to lock the door to journalists, UNCA's Pioli again said, “You're an asshole. I'm telling you that you're an asshole. Quote me.” Audio here.
What's behind this? How did a journalists club turn into a club against a journalist, and why? Beyond Pioli's financial relationship with Palitha Kohona, who as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN Pioli unilaterally granted a "UN" screening of a war crimes denial film, there is for example the matter of South South News.
South South News is depicted in the October 2015 criminal complaint against John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Frank Lorenzo and others as a vehicle for bribery, to the tune of $12 million.
UNCA under Pioli took SSN's money, and gave its funding Ng Lap Sent a photo op with Ban Ki-moon. But Pioli's UNCA also gave South South News a "journalism award," and SSN in term featured videos of Pioli, here - and ofPioli's tenant Kohona, here.
SSN video at 0:29 features Lorenzo (guilty plea) and Wang (indicted)
John Ashe's former spokesperson is a member of UNCA; a SSN anchor, too. These are among the reasons that Inner City Press sought -- facing retaliation - and seeks and will continue to seek to cover this corrupted organization, as part of the wider and expanding UN corruption scandal. Watch this site.
Pioli and his rental of one of his apartments to an accused war criminal, involved in Sri Lanka's notorious White Flag killings, then screening of his tenant's film, played a key role.
But there have been many enablers, among the Gulf and Western media on UNCA's board; there are been others to the very top of the UN who have benefited from and left unchecked this war on investigative journalism.
This as Pioli's UNCA took money from now-indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News, gave SSN a journalism award and Ng a photo op with Ban Ki-moon. After after the indictments, Pioli was selling half-tables with Ban for $6,000 on Wall Street in December 2015. That Ban's UN tries to shield this from coverage is telling.
To try to oust or wipe out coverage of failure in Sri Lanka and more recently Burundi and Yemen to name but two is, of course, convenient, as well as stopping or hindering aggressive coverage of the expanding UN scandal in this waning year.
Inner City Press spoke and speaks out when Reuters took stories without credit, even claimed "exclusives" for things earlier published by Inner City Press. Reuters bureau chief made an anti-Press filing with the UN's Stephane Dujarric. Then when it was leaked, he wrote as Reuters to Google to get it blocked from Search, ostensibly as copyrighted. "His" reporter has been worse, in ways.
Margaret Besheer of Voice of America, who after being exposed in 2012 and her bosses saying in writing theirattempt to oust Inner City Press for her was wrong -- is at it again. She was standing pre-positioned at the UN gate on February 19, 2016 when Inner City Press was physically thrown out. These are tax dollars at work, violating the First Amendment.
There are more - former AFP, the current ones hardly better - and others who just follow along. Now their "leader" Pioli has come to the stakeout, not to report anything - he rarely does - but to loudly call a critic, who actually writes stories, an "asshole." And not one of them did anything. At the UN the journalists' club has become a club against a journalist.
Photo of Pioli at UNCA Ball, credit UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
Inner City Press replied that it believed and believes Pioli is corrupt, that he took rent money from Palitha Kohona then unilaterally granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador for an UNCA / “UN” screening of his government's war crimes denial film, “Lies Agreed To.” And that Pioli after demanding censorship of Inner City Press' coverage has used UNCA and now DPI to try to throw Inner City Press out of the UN, just as Pioli first threatened.
Ban with Pioli, who told Inner City Press, "You are an asshole." Credit UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Another UNCA board member -- Inner City Press quit its elected position on that board in 2012, saying openly that Pioli was corrupt, now in taking money from indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News and granting him a photo op with Ban Ki-moon -- said such language should not be used at the stakeout.
But it was Pioli who approached Inner City Press, which hasn't willingly spoke with Pioli in more than a year.
So it is for this person that Cristina Gallach first ordered Inner City Press out of the UN on two hours notice on February 19 and on whom she has since leaned in trying to defend her February 19 decision, which was reached without once speaking with Inner City Press.
Ban shakes with Cristina Gallach, who threw ICP out of UN on Feb 19, 2016 on 2 hours notice. Credit UN Photo
Her rationale was that Inner City Press secretly filmed a closed meeting, but that doesn't stand up: the meeting was nowhere listed as closed, and Inner City Press openly live-streamed and even live Tweeted it: hardly secret.
So the fallback argument was that since Inner City Press covered the UNCA event in the UN Press Briefing Room from one of the glassed-in interpreters' booths, in order to avoid just such a response as Pioli's “asshole” on March 24, it had violated some as-yet unproduced rule about not being in an interpreters booth.
But on March 23 Inner City Press observed and filmed two non-interpreters in the “other” interpreters booth in the UN Press Briefing Room while UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq read out statements and did NOTHING about the use of the interpreters booth.
On March 24, Inner City Press asked Haq about it, from the UN Transcript here.
On his way out of the UN Press Briefing Room, Haq said to Inner City Press, “Liar.” This is the atmosphere created, when DPI and the Spokesperson's office have allowed a character like Pioli, angry at coverage of his financial dealings with Sri Lanka's ambassador, to essentially run the asylum.
It seems clear now that there must be a complete reversal of Gallach's February 19 order, based on false facts (closed meeting, “secret” filming), a dubious rule and at the behest of an UNCA boss who barely writes articles, seeks to control UN office space and comes to the UN Security Council stakeout to call a critic an asshole. We'll have more on this.
On Yemen, Dujarric Denies DPA Witch Hunt, Claims Free Press Amid Eviction Bid
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 29 -- A month before the one year anniversary of the Saudi-led Coalition's campaign of airstrikes on Yemen, Inner City Press exclusively published, not for the first time, an email leaked to it between UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and UN Department of Political Affairs chief Jeff Feltman.
As Inner City Press subsequently reported, Feltman conducted questioning -- some called it a witch hunt -- of DPA staff to try to find out who had leaked it to Inner City Press.
On March 28, after Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq had refused to let Inner City Press asked Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed a single question at his length press conference at the UN, Ban's top lawyer issued a threat of imminent eviction threat to Inner City Press, here.
Not surprisingly, particularly given Feltman's questioning, some viewed the UN's escalation against Inner City Press as a response to its publication of UN leaks.
On March 29, Feltman wrote to Inner City Press and we publish it in full:
"Dear Matthew,
On Yemen: Your job is to publish what you consider to be news. My job includes the protection of what is UN sensitive information. So we are naturally going to be at odds over things such as leaked e-mails; that's just part of the respective roles we play. I don't blame you for publishing what you had -- were I a journalist, I would likely do the same -- but you are surely sophisticated enough not to be surprised that I would try to stop leaks.
As for your status at the UN, you are of course welcome to continue to send e-mails to me, but, as I expect you know, others, not DPA, have the appropriate responsibilities in this case. DPA is not involved.
Jeffrey Feltman
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
United Nations, New York"
On Yemen: Your job is to publish what you consider to be news. My job includes the protection of what is UN sensitive information. So we are naturally going to be at odds over things such as leaked e-mails; that's just part of the respective roles we play. I don't blame you for publishing what you had -- were I a journalist, I would likely do the same -- but you are surely sophisticated enough not to be surprised that I would try to stop leaks.
As for your status at the UN, you are of course welcome to continue to send e-mails to me, but, as I expect you know, others, not DPA, have the appropriate responsibilities in this case. DPA is not involved.
Jeffrey Feltman
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
United Nations, New York"
Feltman cc-ed his spokesman, who ironically used to work at Amnesty International. Feltman's statement that the retaliation against Inner City Press is only attributable to Cristina Gallach's DPI and now Miguel de Serpa Soares' OLA does not wash.
Inner City Press has written back to Feltman, in part that:
"Meant to thank you for your response, at least the part acknowledging that publishing leaks is (some of) what journalists do - spend much of the day dealing with new exclusions to access, unable to cover a meeting in Trusteeship, even an event in the GA / Visitors Lobby.
I raised my accreditation cut without due process to you after I woke up to news of a protest of USG Gallach's decision in Jaffna. I view DPA's work as among the substantive work of the UN; DPI is more in a service role, akin to the relation between DPKO and DFS.
If you were to think and say that this arbitrary accreditation cut causes problems for the UN, or problems in communities the UN cares about, I feel sure it would be reversed. And I think it has and will continue to cause harm. That's the basis of my request to you -- that and that a UN system for journalists with no rights whatsoever, to due process or appeals, undercuts the UN's credibility.
And in this case, all I was doing was trying to cover in the UN Press Briefing Room an event, which I believed and believe is related to the ongoing John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng et al corruption scandal - that is, journalism. This totally disproportionate response is what indicates, to me andothers, retaliation.
Without undercutting that point, which I hope someone has some impact in the real world, on leaks I'd think more of a technological solution, like documents that disappear after they are read, rather than questioning people. Since the UN, to my chagrin, doesn't have a FOIA, self-erasing documents would be no problem.
Mostly, if you see that the protests in Jaffna, and the acting Res Rep's disingenuous response to the Northern Provincial Councilor, are indicative as are responses from some in Burundi, and about Yemen and Western Sahara, of harm from the accreditation cut and office seizure, please make that known to those who can and should reverse the decision."
I raised my accreditation cut without due process to you after I woke up to news of a protest of USG Gallach's decision in Jaffna. I view DPA's work as among the substantive work of the UN; DPI is more in a service role, akin to the relation between DPKO and DFS.
If you were to think and say that this arbitrary accreditation cut causes problems for the UN, or problems in communities the UN cares about, I feel sure it would be reversed. And I think it has and will continue to cause harm. That's the basis of my request to you -- that and that a UN system for journalists with no rights whatsoever, to due process or appeals, undercuts the UN's credibility.
And in this case, all I was doing was trying to cover in the UN Press Briefing Room an event, which I believed and believe is related to the ongoing John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng et al corruption scandal - that is, journalism. This totally disproportionate response is what indicates, to me andothers, retaliation.
Without undercutting that point, which I hope someone has some impact in the real world, on leaks I'd think more of a technological solution, like documents that disappear after they are read, rather than questioning people. Since the UN, to my chagrin, doesn't have a FOIA, self-erasing documents would be no problem.
Mostly, if you see that the protests in Jaffna, and the acting Res Rep's disingenuous response to the Northern Provincial Councilor, are indicative as are responses from some in Burundi, and about Yemen and Western Sahara, of harm from the accreditation cut and office seizure, please make that known to those who can and should reverse the decision."
At the March 29 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked, UN Transcript here:
Inner City Press: On Yemen, I'd wanted to ask, on March 5 Inner City Press published an e-mail from Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to Jeff Feltman. And today, I've been informed by Mr. Feltman… I was informed before, but he's confirmed attempting to… to… what some have called a witch-hunt in DPA [Department of Political Affairs], i.e., many people called in, grilled about whether they're the source of the leak. And, you know, Mr. Feltman, to his credit, says journalists do their job. But, he also denies… so, I wanted to ask, what is the policy, if there is one, of the UN in terms of how far a department can go in terms of trying to plug a leak? And also, what safeguards are in place to ensure that a media that is leaked to is not… doesn't find itself, as you'll find in my next question, faced with summary eviction from the UN? What safeguards… I know that UN staff have an Ethics Office where they can assert retaliation, but what protections, if any, are there for journalists in the UN system?
Spokesman Dujarric: First of all, I don't think there's been a witch-hunt. I think it's only natural that, if there's a leak, somebody asks questions, but I'm not aware of any official investigations or any witch-hunt, whatever that, whatever that means. As far as media, I think, you know, most of the journalists here have, one time or another, been the happy recipient of leaks and have enjoyed it, and that is their, that is their right to do that. If you're referring to your particular case, as you know, it has nothing to do with whatever questions you may want to ask, whatever leaks you may or may not have received or e-mails you…
Inner City Press: I actually don't know that.
Spokesman Dujarric: First of all, I don't think there's been a witch-hunt. I think it's only natural that, if there's a leak, somebody asks questions, but I'm not aware of any official investigations or any witch-hunt, whatever that, whatever that means. As far as media, I think, you know, most of the journalists here have, one time or another, been the happy recipient of leaks and have enjoyed it, and that is their, that is their right to do that. If you're referring to your particular case, as you know, it has nothing to do with whatever questions you may want to ask, whatever leaks you may or may not have received or e-mails you…
Inner City Press: I actually don't know that.
Feltman, who previously covered the Middle East for the US State Department, appears to have "gone native" at the UN, like at least two of Serpa Soares' (American) lawyers, glorying in impunity. We'll have more on this.
In Yemen, the Houthis and Saleh's GPC held separate rallies in Sana'a on March 26, photos below.
At Saleh's rally, the first time he'd addresses people in public place in the past year according to Inner City Press' sources he said that the UN Security Council - and by implication its envoy -- will do nothing to resolve the conflict and that he would "ignore it". If it's a real Security Council speaking for the peoples, Saleh said, it should stop the war.
On March 28, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: about Yemen, on the one-year anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing, which was held on the 26th, there were two big rallies in Sana’a. One was by the Houthis, but another one was by followers of former President Saleh. It was a pretty large one. There are photographs of it. And at this rally, he said he has no more interest in working with the UN Security Council or its envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, that only to deal directly with the Saudis. And that if the UN had meant business, they would have stopped these air strikes long ago. So I wanted to know, given that this is sort of a third element in the Yemen situation, what are Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s comments, relations with the Saleh side and this massive rally?
Spokesman: Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed is continuing to speak to all sides in the region. That has not changed. And it is not, it’s not the Secretary-General that can stop the fighting. It is those who have their fingers on the trigger or on the bomb doors that can actually stop the fighting.
Inner City Press: Right. I think their critique was just that it’s not an even-handed mediation...
Spokesman: Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed is continuing to speak to all sides in the region. That has not changed. And it is not, it’s not the Secretary-General that can stop the fighting. It is those who have their fingers on the trigger or on the bomb doors that can actually stop the fighting.
Inner City Press: Right. I think their critique was just that it’s not an even-handed mediation...
Note: Inner City Press is informed that after its recent exclusive report on Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's email to Feltman, not only did Dujarric's deputy Haq in retaliation deny Inner City Press any question -- also, Department of Political Affairs were questioned about their possible leaking
Saleh's rally, March 26, 2016
Saleh reiterated calls for direct talks with the Saudis, which the Houthis are already doing, and said that his party is coordinating with other Yemeni groups including Houthi to end the conflict. This came after Saleh's seeming exclusion from the direct talks between Houthis and Saudis which led to a lessening of border fighting and exchange of prisoners. h/t Shuaib Almosawa
Houthis' rally, March 26, 2016
When Inner City Press asked US State Department spokesperson John Kirby about Yemen on March 15, Kirby said "we welcome the fact that there is a cessation of hostilities." On March 23 at the UN, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq did not even allow Inner City Press a question to UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
On March 24, Inner City Press asked Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: On March 23, Inner City Press asked at the end about Saleh leaving the country, if any Permanent Five member of the Security Council is asking for that. I haven't heard that, the fishy envoy said (Vine here), leaving without answer about his blocking practices on Twitter.
On March 24 Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft about the Yemen talks going on outside of Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's track -- Rycroft said it's a good question, the various talks should all come together -- and if the UK thinks Saleh should leave Yemen. Video here.
That's up to the Yemeni people, Rycroft said. Another Press question is, whither Hadi? Has he lost legitimacy? Does the UAE support Bahah? On the UAE, where is the UN's former Libya envoy -- and former top Spanish official in the UN system, a title now in the news -- Bernardino Leon? We'll have more on this.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced a cessation of hostilities - but not under April 10 - and talks on April 18 in Kuwait. Inner City Press is told that despite how pro-Saudi he (and the UN's question selection) is, there is still anger at things the envoy said. Here a link to his opening remarks. We'll have more on this.
On March 16, Inner City Press returned to the State Department and asked Kirby's deputy Mark Toner about the Saudi airstrikes in Hajjah which killed, it asked, 41 or 107 people; Toner replied in part that the US could not verify the specifics, see below.
On March 19, amid yet MORE Saudi airstrikes on Sana'a, the UN's fishy envoy Ismail Ould Cheick Ahmed said something pubicly, on Twitter - but it was not about the bombing and suffering. Instead it was: "Important meetings in Sana'a today in order to prepare for the next round of peace talks for #Yemen."
So Inner City Press asked him, "Press question for @OSESGY: I see you saying you have important meetings in Sana'a; any comment on #Saudi airstrikes there?"
While some predicted blocking -- the approach taken by Burundi's current Ambassador to the UN, and a former of a P5 -- we will await a response and explanation, watch this site.
On March 18, Inner City Press asked Kirby again:
Inner City Press: On Yemen, I see that you answered yesterday and you said you didn’t have the details yet about this airstrike in Hajjah province, but now the UN’s human rights commissioner has said that his team got there on Wednesday. They put the death count at 106. UNICEF Yemen puts it at 118. So I’m just wondering, do you accept that as kind of – as – is that enough information to – for the U.S. to say this did happen and that’s the death count?
MR KIRBY: We’re aware and deeply concerned by reports that a significant number of civilians may have been killed or injured during a strike near a market in northern Yemen. I’m unable today to verify any of the specifics of what happened. I would note, though, that the coalition has stated that it will conduct an investigation of the incident, and we encourage them to conduct a prompt, transparent investigation and publicly release the results. It’s vital that the investigation provide a thorough and objective accounting of the facts and circumstances of the incident and, if appropriate, to address any factors that led to it so that we can prevent reoccurrence, of course.
As we’ve said previously, we’re deeply concerned by the effects of the crisis in Yemen, both in terms of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation which still exists. Okay?
MR KIRBY: We’re aware and deeply concerned by reports that a significant number of civilians may have been killed or injured during a strike near a market in northern Yemen. I’m unable today to verify any of the specifics of what happened. I would note, though, that the coalition has stated that it will conduct an investigation of the incident, and we encourage them to conduct a prompt, transparent investigation and publicly release the results. It’s vital that the investigation provide a thorough and objective accounting of the facts and circumstances of the incident and, if appropriate, to address any factors that led to it so that we can prevent reoccurrence, of course.
As we’ve said previously, we’re deeply concerned by the effects of the crisis in Yemen, both in terms of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation which still exists. Okay?
On March 18, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights put the civilian death toll at 106; UNICEF in Yemen puts the figure at 118 dead including 22 children.
On March 16, Inner City Press returned and asked Kirby's deputy Mark Toner about the Saudi airstrike in Hajjah, full video here from Minute 56:28; Vine here, US transcript here:
QUESTION: Inner City Press. I want to ask about Yemen and something about the UN.
MR TONER: Sure.
Inner City Press: On Yemen, yesterday, Mr. Kirby said that we welcome the fact that there’s a cessation of hostilities. And then, as I’m sure you know, there was a big airstrike in Haja province – some people say 41 killed --
MR TONER: Yeah.
Inner City Press: -- some say 107. What do you say to that? And related back to the genocide question, also still on Yemen, Sudan is part of the coalition. Sudan has troops in Yemen with the U.S.-supported coalition. And I’m wondering, how is that – does that – does the genocide finding as to Omar al-Bashir in Darfur have any implication for the U.S. not being part of a coalition or militarily cooperating with a government whose head of state is charged with genocide by the ICC and was found by Colin Powell to --
MR TONER: So to your first question, we’re certainly aware of the reports that civilians may have been killed or injured during a strike, I believe, near a market in Haja province. I can’t at this time – cannot verify the specifics. We remain deeply concerned by the devastating toll of the crisis in Yemen, both in terms of civilian casualties, but also, obviously, in terms of the humanitarian situation that Yemen faces. We urge all sides to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law.
Speaking to the broader peace process, as you know, Secretary Kerry was just there. I was with him over the weekend, as was poor Dave here. And we were on a trip to Saudi Arabia. But one of the things that we discussed – he discussed, rather, with both the Saudi – His Royal Highness King Salman, also the crown prince, and the deputy crown prince as well as Saudi Foreign Minister al-Jubeir – they talked about the need for a political solution to the situation in Yemen. And so we support the UN efforts to that end.
In terms of your second question, I’m actually – I just don’t know the specifics about that or what prohibits us – you’re saying why we would not have been part of this, are we prohibited from taking part in that?
Inner City Press: No, no, I guess I was saying – you were saying that there – or people were saying in this first round that there were some legal implications if you make a finding of genocide. And I don't know if those include not working with --
MR TONER: But I’m not sure whether they pertain to --
Inner City Press: -- the government who --
MR TONER: I’d have to – yeah, I can take that question. I don't know.
QUESTION: Okay. And do you know – just one other – because I think the question was taken yesterday.
MR TONER: Yeah.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about this corruption case about the UN. Today, in the Southern District of New York, the former deputy permanent representative of the Dominican Republic pled guilty and has pledged to cooperate against the former president of the General Assembly, John Ashe. I wanted to know the State Department’s position on it, and also on the Government Accountability Project. They wrote a letter – a public letter to the U.S. Mission to the UN urging them to get involved in opposing retaliation by the UN against the press that has been reporting on the corruption scandal. I think that some members of Congress are actually now – but I haven’t seen anything from the State – from the U.S. mission. So I’m wondering, is the State Department aware of the corruption case, and also separately of this GAP letter, and what’s their response to it?
MR TONER: I would imagine we’re aware. I’m not, unfortunately. I apologize we haven’t gotten back to you on that. We’ll take it.
MR TONER: Sure.
Inner City Press: On Yemen, yesterday, Mr. Kirby said that we welcome the fact that there’s a cessation of hostilities. And then, as I’m sure you know, there was a big airstrike in Haja province – some people say 41 killed --
MR TONER: Yeah.
Inner City Press: -- some say 107. What do you say to that? And related back to the genocide question, also still on Yemen, Sudan is part of the coalition. Sudan has troops in Yemen with the U.S.-supported coalition. And I’m wondering, how is that – does that – does the genocide finding as to Omar al-Bashir in Darfur have any implication for the U.S. not being part of a coalition or militarily cooperating with a government whose head of state is charged with genocide by the ICC and was found by Colin Powell to --
MR TONER: So to your first question, we’re certainly aware of the reports that civilians may have been killed or injured during a strike, I believe, near a market in Haja province. I can’t at this time – cannot verify the specifics. We remain deeply concerned by the devastating toll of the crisis in Yemen, both in terms of civilian casualties, but also, obviously, in terms of the humanitarian situation that Yemen faces. We urge all sides to comply with obligations under international humanitarian law.
Speaking to the broader peace process, as you know, Secretary Kerry was just there. I was with him over the weekend, as was poor Dave here. And we were on a trip to Saudi Arabia. But one of the things that we discussed – he discussed, rather, with both the Saudi – His Royal Highness King Salman, also the crown prince, and the deputy crown prince as well as Saudi Foreign Minister al-Jubeir – they talked about the need for a political solution to the situation in Yemen. And so we support the UN efforts to that end.
In terms of your second question, I’m actually – I just don’t know the specifics about that or what prohibits us – you’re saying why we would not have been part of this, are we prohibited from taking part in that?
Inner City Press: No, no, I guess I was saying – you were saying that there – or people were saying in this first round that there were some legal implications if you make a finding of genocide. And I don't know if those include not working with --
MR TONER: But I’m not sure whether they pertain to --
Inner City Press: -- the government who --
MR TONER: I’d have to – yeah, I can take that question. I don't know.
QUESTION: Okay. And do you know – just one other – because I think the question was taken yesterday.
MR TONER: Yeah.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about this corruption case about the UN. Today, in the Southern District of New York, the former deputy permanent representative of the Dominican Republic pled guilty and has pledged to cooperate against the former president of the General Assembly, John Ashe. I wanted to know the State Department’s position on it, and also on the Government Accountability Project. They wrote a letter – a public letter to the U.S. Mission to the UN urging them to get involved in opposing retaliation by the UN against the press that has been reporting on the corruption scandal. I think that some members of Congress are actually now – but I haven’t seen anything from the State – from the U.S. mission. So I’m wondering, is the State Department aware of the corruption case, and also separately of this GAP letter, and what’s their response to it?
MR TONER: I would imagine we’re aware. I’m not, unfortunately. I apologize we haven’t gotten back to you on that. We’ll take it.
On March 15, Inner City Press asked US State Department spokesperson John Kirby, from the US transcript:
Inner City Press: I want to ask about Yemen. I saw the Secretary’s comments when he was in Saudi Arabia about possibility of a ceasefire similar to Syria and something about having teams on the ground working on that. So I wanted to know – it seems like there’s talks between the Houthis and the Saudis that don’t involve Saleh or even Hadi. It seems – what’s the U.S.’s – like, what was he referring to? Is it – does he view direct negotiations between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia as a positive thing? Is that the ceasefire he’s talking about? And what’s the role of the UN envoy, who seems not to be part of those talks, and of Mr. Hadi going forward? Is he the future president of Yemen or is he – has time passed him by?
MR KIRBY: So there’s a lot there. There – we still continue to support the UN special envoy and his efforts. That’s not going to change. And when the Secretary was in the region over the weekend, Yemen was – as he said, was a significant point of discussion with Saudi leaders. Nothing has changed about our support for the UN special envoy and his efforts to get a political process going and move forward. And the United States is going to remain firmly behind that effort.
He also said that we welcome reports that there is a reduction in violence between Houthis and the coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia. We welcome the fact that there is a cessation of hostilities, quite frankly, that appears to also be holding. That’s a good thing, because we’ve long said that there needs to be an increased effort by the international community to get humanitarian aid and assistance to so many Yemeni citizens who are in need, and that’s hard to do when there is still violence going on between both sides.
So we welcome this – that development, and we welcome the news that there are discussions between the two sides. If those discussions can lead to a resolution of the conflict and to a continuation of the reduction of violence, that too is a healthy thing. But it doesn’t mean that we aren’t also going to continue to support the UN track here, because we still believe that that is an important part of putting in place a sustainable governing structure, one that the Yemeni people clearly deserve going forward. So it’s both, it’s both. And he’s very much focused on both tracks and I think you’re going to continue to see that be the case going forward."
MR KIRBY: So there’s a lot there. There – we still continue to support the UN special envoy and his efforts. That’s not going to change. And when the Secretary was in the region over the weekend, Yemen was – as he said, was a significant point of discussion with Saudi leaders. Nothing has changed about our support for the UN special envoy and his efforts to get a political process going and move forward. And the United States is going to remain firmly behind that effort.
He also said that we welcome reports that there is a reduction in violence between Houthis and the coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia. We welcome the fact that there is a cessation of hostilities, quite frankly, that appears to also be holding. That’s a good thing, because we’ve long said that there needs to be an increased effort by the international community to get humanitarian aid and assistance to so many Yemeni citizens who are in need, and that’s hard to do when there is still violence going on between both sides.
So we welcome this – that development, and we welcome the news that there are discussions between the two sides. If those discussions can lead to a resolution of the conflict and to a continuation of the reduction of violence, that too is a healthy thing. But it doesn’t mean that we aren’t also going to continue to support the UN track here, because we still believe that that is an important part of putting in place a sustainable governing structure, one that the Yemeni people clearly deserve going forward. So it’s both, it’s both. And he’s very much focused on both tracks and I think you’re going to continue to see that be the case going forward."
On March 15, a Saudi airstrike killed at least 106 civilians in northern Yemen...
On March 14, Inner City Press had asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:
Inner City Press: on Yemen, there are obviously a lot of reports now that the Saudis are negotiating directly with the Houthis. This was referred to by some degree by John Kerry in his visit to Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Where is the envoy? Is the envoy part of this? Is this outside the envoy…
Spokesman: We referred to it, as well, on Thursday or Friday where this is something that the envoy welcomes and has been encouraging for some time.
Spokesman: We referred to it, as well, on Thursday or Friday where this is something that the envoy welcomes and has been encouraging for some time.
But is he involved?
On March 5 Inner City Press published another exclusive: UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's email to UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, which contradicts what envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed most recently told the Security Council. The email exclusively published by Inner City Press shows flexibility on the Houthi side, with the prospects of meeting in Jordan or Morocco, while the Saudis insist on sending low level representation. The email is published in full, below.
"Dear Jeff, I just completed a 2-day visit in Riyadh and wanted to give you a quick update on how things have developed since my discussions with H/Mohamed AbdelSalam last week in Muscat.
I had a private discussion with both State Minister Mussaeed Al Ayban and Abu Ali where I briefed them on the readiness of the Houthis to resume discrete face-to-face meetings with KSA representatives. While they welcomed the progress made and expressed their commitment to go ahead with this track, they also emphasized that:
i) in light of the progress the Coalition has been making on the ground and their advance toward Sanaa, the Houthis should seize this opportunity and discuss in good faith as they are in a weaker position on the ground and their options are narrowing;
ii) KSA will not consider elevating the level of their representation in the KSA-H talks, as Mohamed AbdelSalam had requested. KSA considers that the 2 representatives they are sending are at the level of Mohammed AbdelSalam and the Houthis should not expect a higher representation at this point;
iii) KSA accepted the proposal of Mohamed AbdelSalam to meet in a third country (Jordan). Mohamed Abe Assalem has suggested to me either Morocco or Jordan as the venue.
I immediately called Mohemad AbdelSalam from Riyadh to share the outcomes of the meeting. He was going to talk to his leadership and revert to me with a confirmation. If the Houthis accept, the Houthi - KSA meeting could go ahead as early as next week, in Jordan. We of course would not participate nor be present. I have however already started coordination with the Jordan Ambassador to Yemen, as needed.
Although we still do not have an agreement for a new cessation of hostilities, we have continued to press for commitment to the De-Escalation and Coordination Committee (DCC), and a range of economic initiatives (especially in relation to the Central Bank's independence and the reactivation of the Social Welfare Fund).
In my meeting with the GoY delegation, I continued to impress upon them the importance of participation of the GoY in the DCC, and to training which we are planning to organize in Amman during the coming weeks. The UK Ambassador informed me that Foreign Minister and Head of GoY delegation AbdelMalik El Mikhalfi today had responded positively to his suggestion.
There are been positive developments on economic initiatives which I have supported as well. Foreign Minister Mikhalfi participated in the Central Bank board meeting last week in Amman together with the Minister for Finance and the CB Governor. DPM/MoFA Mikhalfi acknowledged that significance of the Governor's attendance from Sanaa and was very grateful for my personal efforts to secure his participation with the Houthis, which was seen by the GoY as an important confidence building measure. Mikhalfi agreed on the necessity of developing further economic initiatives including the support for the SWF and SFD. My office is working with the UNCT, World Bank and IMF in order to ensure a sufficient level of technical support for these proposals.
I am now in Nouakchott for 4 days where I need to renew my G4 visa and will proceed to New York on 16 February ahead of the SC briefing. I intend to remain in NYC until 22 February in order to meet with key Member States and HQ officials. I plan to also travel to Washington DC 19 February and hold meetings there. I look forward to seeing you in New York in a few days.
Best regards, Ismail."
Best regards, Ismail."
The above email was sent on February 11 and contradicts what Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the Security Council; meanwhile Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the UN told the press on March 4 that envoy IOCA does NOT want a humanitarian access resolution.
In the UN Security Council on the Yemen sanctions resolution adopted on February 24, language was added to try to discourage the Panel of Experts from looking into the act of the Saudi-led Coalition. Concessions were made, of a kind not made for or about other countries under sanctions.
(Inner City Press had to follow the process from outside the UN, literally, the park on 43rd Street across First Avenue, because only days after Inner City Press asked why the UN was so quiet about false claims of Iranian military equipment in a UN WFP aid ship, Inner City Press was summarily thrown out of the UN for seeking three weeks earlier to cover an event in the UN Press Briefing Room, and Banned, without due process. Petition here.)
On March 4 in the same UN Press Briefing Room, Saudi Ambassador to the UN Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi held an unscheduled press conference to announce that OCHA, whose Yemen pick up the pieces campaign Saudi Arabia largely funds, does not think there's a need for a humanitarian access resolution. If true, some will say that OCHA has been bought.
Inner City Press asked al-Mouallimi why his Yemeni counterpart had claimed to Inner City Press, on the record, that the WFP ship the Saudis seized contained "Iranian military equipment"?
Al-Mouallimi said, among other things, the ship DID come from Iran... and the equipment wasn't on the manifest and was "hidden."
Inner City Press asked him about cluster bomb use; he denied it and many media printed that quote, without more. Inner City Press asked him, if opposed to the UN Panel of Experts looking into the impacts of the Saudi Coalition, who should do it? This was not answered, except to again emphasize how tied the PoE is to the underlying, one-sided resolution.
At the end, Inner City Press asked Mouallimi to encourage the Yemen / Hadi delegation to hold its press session in this same UN Press Briefing Room, and not for Gulf and Western UNCA scribes only, a spoonfed breakfast, see below. Al-Mouallimi said he would convey the request. We'll see.
On March 1, back in on a reduced access pass, Inner City Press asked UN OCHA official John Ging about taking "aid" money from Saudi Arabia while it blasts away at Yemen. Video here.
Ging said these two are "ring fenced," and that the UN doesn't allow Saudi Arabia to put conditions on aid or where it is delivered.
Inner City Press asked, what about the Saudi threat that aid workers should leave Houthi-controlled areas? Ging said the UN had pushed back.
Inner City Press asked, what about the Saudi threat that aid workers should leave Houthi-controlled areas? Ging said the UN had pushed back.
But quietly, as was the case with the Saudi diversion of the WFP ship. Does money talk? Apparently yes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)