For UN's Sri Lanka Panel, Nambiar Meets with Kohona, "Two Foxes," Sources Say

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/lanka7unfollow032410.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 24 -- The UN's panel on accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka is being put together by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, with his already controversial role in the final stage of the "bloodbath on the beach" and the Rajapaksa government's UN representative Palitha Kohona, Mr. Ban told the Press on Wednesday.

A full week after Mr. Ban said there would be "no delay" in putting together the panel, Inner City Press asked him what had in fact been done. Video here, from Minute 7:54. Mr. Ban replied that he is "in the process of identifying persons" for the panel of experts.

"My chef de cabinet has been meeting with Sri Lanka's Ambassador here," Mr. Ban said. Video here, from Minute 8:29, UN transcript below.

Chef de cabinet Vijay Nambiar's role in Sri Lanka became more and more controversial as 2009 progressed, including him telling surrendering LTTE leaders that if they came out with a white flag they would be fine. They were, in fact, shot and killed -- at the order of the Rajapaksas, according to now imprisoned general Sarath Fonseka.

While UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Execution Philip Alston has submitted questions to the Sri Lankan government, Nambiar himself is at least a witness. Why is he putting together the panel on accountability?

Ambassador Kohona, most recently, is reported to have given food baskets and $100 dollars to pro-Rajapaksa protesters who denounced Ban Ki-moon in front of the UN twelve days ago.

Kohona was also instrumental in the Non Aligned Movement's letter to Ban contesting his jurisdiction to appoint the panel. India's representative at the NAM meeting at issue has told Inner City Press that at the end of the meeting, essentially as people were leaving, Kohona asked for a NAM letter to Ban. In the moment, no one objected, and the letter was sent.

There are the two people putting together the panel to advise Ban Ki-moon on accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka. It is, one close observer told Inner City Press, like "two foxes studying the hen house." Watch this site.

Footnote: Inner City Press also asked China's new UN Ambassador Li Baodong for his views on Ban's panel and the NAM letter. Video here, from Minute 3:00.

While Li Baodong answered Inner City Press' question on Myanmar, saying that its elections are a "matter of sovereign states that should be respected," he pointedly declined to answer Inner City Press' question on Sri Lanka, and walked away from the microphone. Video here, from Minute 4:34.

From the March 24 UN transcript:

Inner City Press: a week ago you'd said on the Sri Lanka panel or board on accountability that there'd be no delay. So a week's gone by, I want to know if anything's been done in that regard in that week?

SG Ban: I'm in the process of identifying persons who can work in the panel of experts. My chef de cabinet has been meeting with the Sri Lankan ambassador here and they are now in the process of making a move on this, and I expect that Mr. Lynn Pascoe will be able to visit Sri Lanka in the near future to discuss all the matters.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/lanka7unfollow032410.html

Eide's Taliban Talks Ascribed to Ambition to Lead UN, India Critical, Pakistan Elusive

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
www.innercitypress.com/un2taliban032310.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 -- Why did former UN envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide start publicly bragging that he spoke with the Taliban? Inner City Press sought answers this week, officially from the UN, then from diplomats from India, Pakistan and Ban Ki-moon's own office.

The last of these had the most cynical or realistic explanation. In short, Kai Eide dreams of being UN Secretary General. The theory from the third floor of the UN's new building is that after Ban and the Asia Group, Europe is up next. Russia will block Eastern Europe, so Western Europe with his its last chance.

Beyond Jan Eliasson -- here this week for Water -- and Carl Bildt, candidates include both Kai Eide and his successor in Kabul, Staffan de Mistura. The senior Ban advisor said that in case de Mistura talks with Taliban and peace results, Eide wants it in the record that he began the strategy.

India on the other hand told Inner City Press that the UN should not speak with the Taliban. Pakistan, on its national day, was more cagey, characterizing Kai Eide's going public as "sad." And then the hammer blow from the third floor of the new building, the kiss of UN death to Eide. How do they like Galbraith now?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2taliban032310.html

As Bashir Threatens to Cut Observers' Fingers Off, UN Silent, on Venezuela Trip

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unmis3nec032310.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 -- Sudan's president Omar al Bashir has claimed his indictment by the International Criminal Court for war crimes has made him more popular, in the run up to elections. He's said that after the elections, he will travel to Venezuela, a member of the ICC.

Inner City Press on March 23 asked the UN about Bashir, and experts on the ICC about Venezuela's -- and Brazil's -- duties to apprehend Bashir. David Donat Cattin, Director of the International Law and Human Rights Programme at Parliamentarians for Global Action, replied that Venezuela has NOT invited Bashir, and would be obligated to arrest him. So too would Lula, he said, if Bashir flew over Brazil. Video here.

With the UN in Sudan in the run up to election, what does the Organization say when President Bashir threatens to "cut off the fingers" of elections observers? Nothing, is the answer.

On March 23, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky

Inner City Press: On Darfur, President Omar Al-Bashir has been quoted regarding election observers as saying, if they interfere in our affairs, “we will cut their fingers off, put them under our shoes, and throw them out”, Bashir said. So, I understand there was a background briefing in which senior UN officials said that they’re monitoring things and as things come up, they are raised to the Government. I want to know what is the UN’s response, given both its role in the elections and with two major peacekeeping forces there, to a President saying he’ll cut the fingers off election observers.

Spokesperson: The point here is that the elections are a Sudanese process and the UN is providing technical support under a Security Council mandate. And the preparations for the election are well under way, as you know, and we do have concerns in three areas. One is that the technical challenges of preparing for an election in a country of that size with the infrastructure that is in place there, or not in place. We are also concerned about reports of harassment of opposition party members and intimidation, arbitrary arrest and detention. And we are also concerned about the low registration of internally displaced people in Darfur. So we have been encouraging the Government of Sudan to address those particular concerns so that the elections, and this is really the key point, will reflect the will of the Sudanese people.

Question: I am just wondering: This seems to be a particular sort of harassment of election observers, saying that you would cut their fingers off. It is hard to imagine this not having some effect on the objectivity of the observation. So it was these senior UN officials, unnamed, said that these are the type of things that Mr. [Haile] Menkerios raises to the Government.

Spokesperson: Said where? Said where, Matthew?

Inner City Press: No, no. There was, maybe while you were traveling, but they announced here, so it was a known fact that there was a background briefing about the Sudanese elections. But they said the type of things, seemingly lesser than this, are the type of things Mr. Menkerios -- maybe he has not raised it yet, but I am wondering if and when Mr. Menkerios actually does raise this to the Government, about the open statement of cutting off fingers of election observers; is it possible to know that the UN did react in some way?

Spokesperson: Look, I have seen the same reports that you have about what President Bashir is supposed to have said. I do not know at this point whether Mr. Menkerios has raised it or not and I will find out.

Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unmis3nec032310.html

Amid Tajik Dam Conflict, UN Allows Propaganda Event with Intel Award

By Matthew Russell Lee|
www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7697473985421550606

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 -- With the prime minister of Tajikistan Oqil Oqilov at the UN for two days in a row, claiming leadership on World Water Day, the UN on Tuesday allowed him a press conference that was little more than propaganda, with corporate awards given by Intel and only one question, in Russian, taken.

Inner City Press on Monday asked the prime minister about his country's proposed dam, which Uzbekistan and now Kazakhstan oppose, He replied that the electrical power is needed, and that down-river countries with hydro carbons should proposal some sort of trade.

Later on Monday, Uzbekistan's Ambassador Murad Askarov told Inner City Press that they could not longer afford electricity trading with Tajikistan in winter, and that absent independent international expert, the dam should not proceed.

On Tuesday, in order to get the Tajik prime minister's reply and write to the story, Inner City Press went to attend his second press conference, about the Millennium Development Goals. It included a award and a protest -- video here, at end -- but now Inner City Press was not allowed a question, only this one, later, at the day's UN noon briefing:

Inner City Press: There have been two-day events here on Water for Life and World Water Day and the Prime Minister of Tajikistan has been central to all of it. There’s a conflict, a pretty serious conflict between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, that borders have been closed. They are building a dam that Uzbekistan says cannot be built without outside observers. So since the UN has this regional centre in Turkmenistan, the Uzbek Ambassador said that the UN has not gotten involved in this cross-border; it is only interested in the Aral Sea. I wanted to know if that is true, and why the UN, given this new centre, would not be involved in what is probably the starkest conflict in the area.

And just very briefly, I wanted to know, just now there was a press conference held in this room by the Prime Minister of Tajikistan at which there was only time for one question. And an award was given to him by Intel on the stage where you are sitting. And it seemed like it was more of a PR stunt than a press conference. So I am wondering: who is in charge of the room here to make that, in the same way that journalists follow rules, that the room is not filled with diplomats and that the stage is not used as with journalists as extras for corporate awards...?

Spokesman: ... this preventive diplomacy centre in Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat, is indeed an important part of the equation in dealing with regional tensions and regional security. That is why it was established precisely there. And its role is to look at a whole range of different topics that could give rise to increased tensions in the region. That is the first thing. The second thing is, on the question of the press conference here, it is not for me to decide how the Prime Minister of Tajikistan conducts his press conference. You can take that up with the Permanent Mission of Tajikistan.

Question: It was conducted by DPI [Department of Public Information]. DPI ran the press conference. And I think we have all seen the rules that say no more than half an hour, time for Q&A, you see what I am saying? So the room was not rented to Tajikistan. DPI ran the press conference, so I am just wondering.

Spokesperson: Look, this is done, when you have a press conference in here by a Permanent Mission, this is the Permanent Mission speaking, not the United Nations, okay. The Permanent Mission is the body at that point that is doing the briefing. If they are sitting here on the stage, it is their briefing; it is not the United Nations.

Question: There was a guy standing at the, I mean there was a gentleman for DPI who actually was the one who was supposed to call questions. And there was also a guy from MDGs, there was two others… it was not a Tajikistan press conference. It was a DPI press conference about the MDGs. I am just wondering who runs it. That is just a simple [question], who is in charge of the room?

Spokesperson: Well, okay, let’s find out about that and tell you precisely what the rules are and what the rules are not. I would simply say that, repeating myself, I do not speak for the Government of Tajikistan, surprising as it may seem. Right, it is up to them to speak for themselves.

But it was not Tajikistan's press conference; it was moderated by DPI. And even when France moderated its own press conference by Nicolas Sarkozy, when they sought to limit it to French journalists, the UN said it would not happen again.

Soon, Ban Ki-moon will travel to Central Asia. Will he even try to address the dispute about dams? Watch this site.

Footnote: Tajikistan also sponsored a reception Monday night for Nowruz, complete with all Central Asian delicacies: samsa, plov, manti and a dessert caled chuck chuck that looked suspiciously like a Rice Krispie treat. (A French attended recollected a beer in Togo also called chuch chuck.)

The UN's Lynn Pascoe took a seat at a raised up table. Vijay Nambiar buzzed through the crowd shaking hands, to say that he was there. Of the Permanent Five members of the Security Council, only Russia's Vitaly Churkin was there. In a swag bag, a key chain was given out, emblazoned "Tajikistan IS water." Indeed.

And see, www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7697473985421550606

As UN Advisor Meles Bans Radio, UN's Ban Is Silent, Only After Castro, Joins Regret at Hunger Striker's Death

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ban1ethiocuba032210.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi was named co-chairman, with Gordon Brown, of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's advisory group on financing and climate change. Now Meles Zenawi is blocking radio stations in Ethiopia, accusing them of destabilizing and of being similar to Radio Milles Collines in Rwanda, in the run up to the May elections in Ethiopia.

On March 22, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky to comment on Meles Zenawi's blocking of radio stations, especially since Ban had only recently named Meles Zenawi to a top UN advisory post. "I'm struggling to see the connection between climate change and banning radio," Nesirky said. Video here, from Minute 9:18.

Inner City Press explained again, it's that Ban awarded Meles Zenawi his UN honor, only to see free press cracked down on. "I will have to look into the facts," Nesirky said. "You've called it a controversy but you've not spelled it out."

He is jamming a radio station. Inner City Press might have added, staff at the UN facilities in Addis Ababa say that the Ethiopian government monitors all of their communications -- but the UN says nothing.

Nesirky then praised radio in the abstract, especially in "parts whether other forms... are less readily available." Next Nesirky was asked by a radio reporter about the death by hunger strike of Orlando Zapata Tamayo in jail in Cuba. Video here, from Minute 14:40.

The reporter had asked the same question before, and Nesirky said Mr. Ban was aware of Zapata's death, but had no comment. Later, after even Raul Castro had said he lamented -- or regretted, in the UN's translation into English -- Zapata's death, Nesirky told another radio station, Radio Marti, that the UN belated "joined" others in regret.

Inner City Press asked for written confirmation, and last week got this:

ICP: On the question of the UN's or S-G's view of the death of Cuban hunger striker Orlando Zapata, which was not answered when asked in a noon briefing but I understand was subsequently answered to Radio Marti, please email me the UN's answer / comment.

UN's Haq: The Secretary-General joins others in expressing deep regret over the death of Orlando Zapata in Cuba.

On March 22, Nesirky was asked, in light of other hunger strikers in Cuba -- read, Guillermo Farinas -- if Mr. Ban viewed Zapata's death as a violation of human rights. "I've told you already, clearly, the Secretary General joins others" in regret. "And that's all I have to say on the matter."

So, silence on radio blocking by a just-named UN advisor, and reluctant comment on a hunger striker's death, without reference to the next one: Guillermo Farinas.

One cynics opined, this is why the Non Aligned Movement thought they might be traction with a letter telling Ban he has no jurisdiction over human rights. We'll see.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban1ethiocuba032210.html

Pachauri's Opaque Moonlighting Critiqued by Figueres, of 2 Costa Ricans and the Alba Group, UNFCCC

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/fccc1figueres032210.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- The embattled chairman of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, refuses to disclose how much money he makes from his simultaneousconsultancies with Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and other institutions. Now, a candidate to head the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, has announced she would cease all outside consulting if given the "full time and a half" post.

Inner City Press asked Ms. Figueres on Monday for her view of Pachauri's side business and other IPCC matters. "That would not be my choice," Ms. Figueres said, of Pachauri's side work for business. She also said diplomatically that "Doctor Pachauri I believe is at freedom to allocate his time as he sees fit." Video here, from Minute 27:18.

But shouldn't Pachauri at least be required to formally disclose who he works for on the side, and how much he gets paid? He has resisted even this.

Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon and his spokesman for the UN view on this lack of transparency. The answer was that the IPCC is not a UN body, and that Pachauri would answer the questions himself. But when he came to the UN, seeking to use Ban Ki-moon as a prop and character witness, neither took any questions from the press.

Ms. Figueres, the daughter of a former Costa Rican president, is viewed as a serious contender to replace Yvo de Boer, who is moving to KPMG (some are calling it cashing in). Inner City Press asked her if the recent appointment of another Costa Rican, Rebecca Grynspan, to the number two post at the UN Development Program might make it less likely she will get this job.

"It may be a stretch," Ms. Figueres agreed, that a country of four million people could get two high posts. India's candidate is said to also have the support of China.

Inner City Press asked Ms. Figueres about the opposition to the Copenhagen process by the five Latin American countries in the Alba Group. Surprisingly to some, Ms. Figueres responded that the Alba Group was "correct in the moment," that all now agree with them. An Alba Group-er afterwards said skeptically to Inner City Press, "Costa Rica never gets along with the Alba Group." Hey -- climate change bring everyone together...

And see, www.innercitypress.com/fccc1figueres032210.html

UN's Eide Spoke with Taliban, then Holbrooke, But UN Claims No Instructions

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1taliban032210.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- The UN distanced itself Monday from its former envoy Kai Eide's talks with the Taliban. "At no time was Kai Eide instructed to speak to the Taliban," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky read out, in response to a question from Inner City Press. Video here, from Minute 24.

Given that US envoy Richard Holbrooke has said that Kai Eide told the US about his talks with the Taliban, it is hard to believe that Kai Eide did not simultaneously or before tell UN Headquarters about his talks. So for the UN spokesman to carefully said that Eide was never "instructed to speak to the Taliban" misses the point, intentionally.

If Eide told UN Headquarters and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about his talks with the Taliban, and they and he were allowed to continue, that was consent. Why not own up to it?

Back on March 18, Inner City Press asked the head of UN Peacekeeping, Alain Leroy, about Hamid Karzai's anger at Pakistan for targeting "moderate" Taliban who could be spoken with. "I don't have to comment," Leroy responded. Video here, from Minute 5:29.

Nesirky pointedly refused at Monday's noon briefing to answer a related questions about the UN in Afghanistan, triggered by a quote from the UN spokesperson in Kabul Susan Manuel that in Kandahar, there "has been a temporary reduction" of UN staff. “We’re trying to determine the profile of the staff, or who needs to be there doing what.”

The UN and Nesirky often deflect questions by saying that the UN does not speak or wish to see stories about the movements of its staff or other "security" matters. But here, the UN has spoken openly about pulling staff out of the way of an impending military engagement. Watch this site.

UN Footnote: Eide's former deputy and nemesis Peter Galbraith has scoffed at Eide's claims. The UN, at least on background, continues to scoff at him, most recently in connection with a briefing about the upcoming elections in Sudan. Most people understand elections can't be perfect, one senior UN official told Inner City Press. "Except Peter Galbraith." The status of Galbraith's claim of retaliation by the UN is not known. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1taliban032210.html

In Sudan, UN Hasn't Reached Jebel Marra, Pre-Spins Election Criticism

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unmis2nec032210.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- Weeks after reports of civilians being killed in Jebel Marra in Darfur, the UN has still not managed to visit the area, Inner City Press has been told. After twice asking about the issue in UN noon briefings, at a background briefing on March 19 by two senior UN officials about Sudan's upcoming elections, the failure to visit Jebal Marra was acknowledged. Later this came in writing:

"Dear Matthew, Kindly find hereby the answer to your question asked during noon briefing regarding Jebel Marra : Has UNAMID accessed Jebel Marra since the recent incident involving the Blue Helmets?

"The Mission is hoping to materialize a security assessment in the next week with a view to then sending humanitarians."

The UN's background briefing in advance of the April 11 elections in Sudan left correspondents scratching their heads. To many, it appeared that following the bad publicity the UN Mission in Afghanistan got, on phantom polling places and the like, the UN wants to "get out in front of the issue" in Sudan, and disclaim any responsibility for fraud.

"It's not for us to judge," said one of the senior UN officials. "Our role is not as observers."

Inner City Press asked about blatant attacks on the press and on the ability of candidates to speak to the public. For example, Sadiq al-Mahdi being unable to broadcast, the National Press Council of Sudan grilling two editors for insulting Omar al-Bashir, a radio station in Juba shut down for a time.

The senior UN official said that each incident was raised, behind the scenes, to the Sudanese authorities, presumably by new UNMIS chief Haile Menkerios. But if the trends of crackdown is raised but just continues, does the UN go public?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unmis2nec032210.html

On Sri Lanka, As UK Disagrees With NAM Letter, IMF, Pascoe and Panel After Election?

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ukun1namsri031910.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- Ten days after Sri Lanka got a Non Aligned Movement letter submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon telling him he has no jurisdiction to seek advise on accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN Mark Lyall Grant told the Press his country disagrees with NAM's argument.

Outside the Security Council chamber, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Lyall Grant about NAM's letter, and war crimes in Sri Lanka. The Secretary General, Ambassador Lyall Grant said, "does have a mandate through the UN charter to uphold human rights and humanitarian international law, and therefore he is entirely within his rights to set up a group of experts who will advise him on taking forward his concerns about some of the allegations that have been made in the recent months in Sri Lanka."

As such, he said, the UK "would disagree with the Non-Aligned Movement, who are arguing that he is acting beyond his mandate." Video here, from Minute 2:49.

Since the UK at the UN has had little at least publicly to say about Sri Lanka of late, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Lyall Grant what the UK thinks should happen. He replied that the UK "want[s] to see an end to impunity, that we want to see allegations of war crimes, human rights violations, human rights abuses, thoroughly investigated."

Also on the NAM letter, Inner City Press on March 19 asked the spokesman for this year's President of the UN General Assembly, Libya's Ali Treki, if he supports or opposes NAM's arguments. You have to ask the Secretary General, was the reply, or NAM or Sri Lanka. But the Sri Lankan mission declined to even give a copy of the NAM letter to the press.

Separately, Inner City Press asked a senior UN official about his involvement in the UN's decision not to send any personnel to Sri Lanka before the Presidential election, to try to safeguard minimal fairness.

While publicly UN spokespeople said the UN could not act without a General Assembly vote or mandate, this official confided that the UN had offered the Sri Lankan electoral official to send a team of five to ten experts. But this offer was turned down.

On the financial front, Inner City Press asked the International Monetary Fund on March 18 about the status of the third tranche of the IMF's credit facility to Sri Lanka. IMF spokesperson Yoshiko Kamata told Inner City Press in reply that IMF "staff will visit Colombo after the parliamentary elections and the formation of the new cabinet, to discuss with the government its plan for a 2010 budget."

The long-promised visit of the UN's political envoy Lynn Pascoe appears to have been pushed back to after the election. Some now say that, following the NAM letter to which Ban has yet to formally response, he is spending more time on "terms of reference" and membership of the announced Sri Lanka panel than he did on his panel on the killing of 150 civilians in Guinea -- specifically so the timing extends until after the elections. What was that again, about "no delay"? Watch this site.

March 19, '10 stakeout, transcribed by Group of Friends on ICP

Inner City Press: The SG said he would name a panel to advise him on Sri Lanka human rights and the NAM complained and said he doesn't have the right to intervene on human rights issues not on the Council's agenda. What does the UK think? Is he within his rights?

Ambassador Lyall Grant: Well, we believe that the Secretary-General does have a mandate through the UN charter to uphold human rights and humanitarian international law, and therefore he is entirely within his rights to set up a group of experts who will advise him on taking forward his concerns about some of the allegations that have been made in the recent months in Sri Lanka. So we would disagree with the Non-Aligned Movement, who are arguing that he is acting beyond his mandate.

Inner City Press: Does the UK have concerns about conduct on both sides?

Ambassador Lyall Grant: Well, we have made it very clear that we always want to see an end to impunity, that we want to see allegations of war crimes, human rights violations, human rights abuses, thoroughly investigated.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ukun1namsri031910.html

Congo Calls for Removal of UN Envoy Doss Before July, Proposes 3 French, 2 American Names as Replacement

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
www.innercitypress.com/drc1undoss031910.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- A day after the UN declined to say when the chief of its embattled peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be leaving MONUC, the Permanent Representative of the DRC Ileka Atoki told Inner City Press that "Alan Doss must go."

Inner City Press has asked Ambassador Atoki to confirm that his president Joseph Kabila has proposed to the UN that Doss be replaced by former top UN Peacekeeper Jean-Marie Guehenno, among others.

"I can confirm that we have give the UN five names," Ambassador Atoki said. Asked about the nationalities, and whether any Britons were included, he said "three French and two American" names had been presented to the UN.

"If the Secretary General extends Doss, even for months, there will be a problem," Ambassador Atoki said. He said that Doss was "condescending" and exemplified "corruption." Doss was exposed by Inner City Press for writing to the UN Development Program to show him "leeway" and give a job to his daughter.

On March 18, UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq told Inner City Press that the investigation is "ongoing." A nine month investigation of a six line e-mail, running out the clock until Doss leaves UN service -- as is now being demanded by the Congo. Watch this site.

Ambassador Atoki said, of the UN Peacekeeping mission more generally, that the UN has to learn to speak more correctly to the Congo. Told of DPKO chief Alain Leroy's comment on March 18 that the UN must stay until critical tasks are completed, Ambassador Atoki emphasized that the UN can stay only as long as the DRC allows it to.

Update: after Inner City Press repeated at the March 19 UN noon briefing its unanswered question from the previous day, the UN finally sent this:

Subject: Your question on Alan Doss
From: UN Spokesperson -donotreply@un.org
To: Inner City Press
Date: Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 12:32 PM

This is to inform you that SRSG Alan Doss's current contract expires at the end of June 2010.

So is the absurd delay in the nepotism investigation only a way to avoid making findings before Doss leaves, and then to declare that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services has not jurisdiction over or interest in former UN officials?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/drc1undoss031910.html

On Sri Lanka, UN Puts Spin on "No Delay," Jabs at NAM, Will Fonseka Meet Pascoe?

By Matthew Russell Lee
ww.innercitypress.com/lanka6unfollow031810.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 -- Amid charges by the UN that the Non Aligned Movement's letter defending Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa government was not agreed to by all NAM member, notably India, the UN is insisting there is no contradiction between its statements about a panel to advise Ban Ki-moon about approaches to war crimes in Sri Lanka.

On March 18, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq about his quote that the panel would not be established very soon and Ban's March 16 statements that there would be "no delay."

"To many it seems contradictory," Inner City Press began. "By many you mean you?" demanded Farhan Haq. Video here, from Minute 7:55.

Well, no. Even after the briefing, a number of UN correspondents who neither ask nor write about Sri Lanka approached Inner City Press to say they too found it confusing, no delay but not very soon.

Haq tried to square the comments by saying no delay in considering the terms of reference. Presumably Ban considered this before informing Mahinda Rajapaksa he was going to name the panel. Again, timing in this regard should be compared to Guinea, where the September 2009 killing of 150 civilians has already triggered a UN panel, terms of reference and investigation long completed. No delay?

Senior Ban advisors have told Inner City Press that they are mad at the NAM letter, claiming that India for example did not agree to the letter. Inner City Press is inquiring. For now, Inner City Press has obtained the NAM letter -- the Sri Lankan Mission to the UN declined to provide it to the press -- and puts it online here.

Just as the "no delay" panel may in fact be intentionally delayed past Sri Lanka's April election, so too many the trip of Ban's envoy Lynn Pascoe. The question is, will Pascoe as least ask for, and hold out to receive, permission to meet with Sarath Fonseka, the imprisoned opposition candidate and former general? One cynic pointed to the UN asking to meet in Myanmar with Aung San Suu Kyi.

Another senior Ban advisor said that the Sri Lanka "case calls out of investigation" even more than Guinea, in that the "general who shot the gun at people with white flags" is saying he was ordered to. But what about the UN official, Ban's chief of staff, who told them to come out with white flags, that it would be ok? Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/lanka6unfollow031810.html

Somali Starvation Shows Security Council Schizophrenia, Humanitarian Window Eyed

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unleak2som031810.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 -- Days after the UN Security Council expressed concern about its Somalia Sanctions report of food aid being diverted to Al Shabab, some Council members realized that merely blocking the World Food Program from working with three allegedly Al Shabab affiliated transportation companies had led to starvation.

While the Sanctions Committee's mandate was scheduled to be extended on March 19, now that will be March 22 or later. Inner City Press is told by numerous Council delegations of a discussion of a "humanitarian window" in which needed food aid could be delivered in Somalia, without regard to sanctions.

One delegation explained this to mean that the Sanctions Committee would "look away" for a period of time. "Willful blindness," it was called.

The U.S., which vociferously denies leaking the Sanctions report to the New York Times in Nairobi, has Al Shabab on its terrorism list. No Security Council resolutions, or lapse in UN sanctions regime, can change that.

The consideration of a humanitarian window seems to be an acknowledgement, if only implicitly, that the UN Sanctions regime has caused humanitarian harm to civilians. Does the U.S. / Obama Administration acknowledge that? One would need to hear from Ambassador Susan Rice, but hasn't. Watch this site.

Footnote: earlier this week, Inner City Press asked Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, chairman of the Somalia Sanctions committee, about starvation in Somalia and the leak of the Sanctions report. Heller said that there was strong criticism of the leak inside the Council; Inner City Press was later told that Russia and the U.S. were the most vehement.

Ambassador Rice previously denounced the leak -- to Inner City Press -- of a draft North Korea sanctions resolution. Some believe that the U.S. -- not necessarily the mission -- leaked the Somalia Sanctions report to the NY Times in Nairobi. Would the U.S. Mission know if this were true?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unleak2som031810.html

With Euro Tanking On Reports of Greece Turning to IMF, of Half Answers, on Dodd Bill and Sri Lanka

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/imf2greece031810.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 18, updated -- As Angela Merkel speaks darkly about ejecting from the Euro zone non compliant countries like Greece, that country's renewed threat of turning for help to the International Monetary Fund has the market selling off the Euro.

Near the end of the IMF's fortnightly press briefing on Thursday morning, spokesperson Caroline Atkinson, beyond saying the IMF has not had a request for financial assistance, declined to describe various aspects of Greece's relations with the IMF. Her boss, Dominique Strauss Kahn, previously bragged that the IMF would "intervene" in Greece upon request.

France's finance minister Lagarde, belatedly added to the UN's climate finance group after Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was confronted with the fact he'd named men to all 19 positions on the panel, has said the EU can still be Greece's interlocutor and helper, not the IMF.

Her president Sarkozy has a personal motive to oppose IMF help to Greece: Strauss Kahn is polling ahead of him for the next French election.

Inner City Press submitted to the IMF during its briefing, but without answer yet, questions about financial reform and the Fund's apparently stalled consideration of a third tranche to Sri Lanka. It was mostly Greece on Thursday, with few answers from the IMF.

Update: later these two answers came in from the IMF:

Re Senator Dodd’s bill, overall, we support the thrust toward comprehensive reforms that would address the gaps in financial regulation illustrated by the crisis. Strong and prompt implementation would both help to secure financial stability going forward.

Re Sri Lanka, not much update. As you know, staff will visit Colombo after the parliamentary elections and the formation of the new cabinet, to discuss with the government its plan for a 2010 budget.

Best regards,
Yoshiko Kamata
Media Relations, IMF

And see, www.innercitypress.com/imf2greece031810.html