By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, September 1 -- With two different Syria draft resolutions pending in the UN Security Council, the "UK is trying to appease some members into their draft," South Africa's Permanent Representative Baso Sangqu told Inner City Press on Thursday, adding, "I don't know if it will work."
Russian Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin told Inner City Press on September 1 that the two drafts represent "two different philosophies," particularly with regard to imposing sanctions.
For now not only Russia and China, but also the so called IBSA of India, Brazil and South Africa, are dubious about sanctions. Together the five are known as BRICSA or BRICS.
Also on September 1, China's Permanent Representative Li Baodong told Inner City Press that "on Syria, the BRICS have their own common position. This is the new development, the new phenonment after Libya. That really helped the BRICS to strengthen their position. We believe it is very important to have a common position." He added, "Now there's a problem in Bahrain."
Indian Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri said that "the Libyan experience has made people extra cautious... You see what's happening in Tripoli -- the guys who were in the lead looked like nationalities other than Libyan. That's the discussion that's going to take place. People are going to agonize about it then decide."
The UK called for another meeting Tuesday at 2 at its Mission on the modified draft it has sponsored with the Council's three other European members and the US.
Afterward a representative of one of the BRICS laughingly told Inner City Press that the UK had purposely limited the discussion to the "non-sanctions" portions of their draft. That's putting off the "agonizing" referred to by Hardeep Singh Puri for another day.
Speaking of agony, Li Baodong's reference to Bahrain included the killing of a 14 year old boy Ali Jawad Ahmad by the government.
Inner City Press on September 1 asked Ban's new Deputy Spokesman Eduardo del Buey if Ban had seen the YouTube video entitled "Ban Ki-moon, Do you see?" (click here to view the video, being warned that is graphic, autopsy, photo here).
The Deputy Spokesman repeated previous urgings to act in accordance with relevant law and said that since Ban is traveling, he could not confirm or deny that Ban has watched the video.
As Inner City Press exclusively reported, Ban had told Bahrain he would send as his envoy UN political official Oscar Fernandez Taranco -- then when Ban got an angry call from Saudi Arabia, Taranco's mission was scrapped. Ban Ki-moon, do you see?
