By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, September 26, updated -- The fight on September 23 between UN Security and the Turkish delegation, on which Inner City Press exclusively reported that afternoon including the hospitalization of a UN Security officer with broken ribs, has now resulted in the suspension of nine UN Security officers.
They feel they were not to blame, that too many ID passes were given to the Turkish delegation, and that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did not back them up.
Ban met with the Turks, and with UN Security at 7:15 am on Saturday. Nine officers were suspended, and all were told not to talk with the press. Some analogize it to the UN's cover up of the killing of UN Security officer Louis Maxwell in Afghanistan by Afghan National Forces, for which no one has ever been held accountable.
"We're just pawns to Ban Ki-moon," one officer complained to Inner City Press. "He sells us out. Ban will do anything to avoid a confrontation with the Turks, even after they broke [officer] Matt Sullivan's ribs, and beat up that Jamaican officer."
On September 23 alongside publishing its exclusive story, Inner City Press asked Ban's Office of the Spokesperson for a comment and was told that a "line" was forthcoming. More than sixty hours later nothing has been said, although the Ban Administration through channels indicates a statement is forthcoming. Watch this site.
Update of 10:27 am -- outside the Security Council (further outside than usual as the press is banned from the regular stakeout) a Permanent Five member diplomat told Inner City Press that the incident, learned about from Inner City Press' Friday report, was causing ripples: "We need to beef up the capabilities of UN Security." Or of the S-G?
