By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
CIA Trial book - NY Mag FIFA Song I, II
UN GATE & more, Nov 27 – For the FIFA World Cup that Qatar paid bribes to get, it issued restrictions on the media that go to cover it, including that journalists will not be allowed to film or photograph in "residential properties, private businesses and industrial zones."
Reporting on the deaths of migrant workers is not permitted.
When the Cup began on Nov 20, Qatar was listless against Ecuador, and its "fans" left early. On Nov 19, England blew out Iran as the Netherlands did Senegal. But the US was tied by Wales - and UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres slipped in, even more quiet than his visit to China's Genocide Games at the beginning of the year. He said nothing, and the UN Correspondents he lets into "his" briefing asked nothing.
On November 22 Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokespeople Farhan Haq, Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming: "Nov 22-1: AGAIN, On human rights-challenged FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when did SG Guterres decide to go? Why so little put out publicly? Since SG said nothing, was the trip paid for by him personally? If not, how much did it cost?"
No answer at all. In Doha, after another nil nil tie between Morocco and Croatia, Japan upset Germany 2-1. Spain laid a 7-0 licking on Costa Rica (which to its relative credit replied to Inner City Press), then Canada of censoring Bob Rae was beaten by Belgium which bragged about Devils amid Qatar's corruption.
On November 24 - Thanksgiving Day in the US - after another nil-nil tie between Uruguay and South Korea, Ghana put up more fight against the Portuguese than they do against Guterres at the UN. Thread - and Song II (Twitter) YouTube
On November 27, Costa Rica bounced back from its 7-0 loss to Spain by beating Japan, and overrated Belgium lost to Morocco. After being down 0-1, Croatia scored four straight against Canada and eliminated them. And Germany managed to tie Spain 1-1 in the 83rd minute, setting up a win-and-you're-in against who else, Costa Rica (unlike, though unlikely, Japan beats Spain). Whew!
A Qatar 2022 haiku from Inner City Press:
Blood-soaked hosts lose two
As referee bribes fall through-
But own Guterres.
And beginning of World Cup of Blood on Patreon here
Qatar also bans filming in “restricted areas where filming requires prior permission” and at “any site with signage or security advising of no photography/videography."
Some who are criticizing these restrictions, however, say nothing when the United Nations does the same. Consider the reasons given by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric for having Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN, for three years and counting, from CJR:
"access is not a right, it’s a privilege,” Dujarric says. “None of this is happening now because of what he writes.” Dujarric says that Lee is often critical of fellow journalists; walking the halls in the evenings, he’ll live-stream running commentary criticizing other reporters. Not long ago, encountering a crew from Al Jazeera—which Lee believes has misled viewers about its connection to the Qatari government—Dujarric says that Lee Periscoped while shouting, “Fuck you!” repeatedly. (Lee says he was complaining that Dujarric had given the Al Jazeera crew a private interview, and excluded him.) “He creates an atmosphere of incivility within our working environment,” Dujarric says."
So Inner City Press is banned by MALU's Melissa Fleming because it filmed on the fourth (media) floor, and for what it said? Or for criticizing his and Guterres' relations with Qatar's Al Jazeera, which got the exclusive to Guterres' two stolen UNSG elections?
We'll have more on this.
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