By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, May 21 -- Long before the Obama administration went after Associated Press phone calls about Yemen, back in 2009 its focus was on North Korea and Fox reporter James Rosen.
During the negotiation and adoption of that June 2009 UN Security Council sanctions resolution, as now, Inner City Press was covering Security Council. The paranoia of the US Mission to the UN was high. Inner City Press got a leak of the final draft of the sanctions resolution and put it online.
While other countries' mission complained, the US Mission grilled even Security Council staffers trying to figure out who leaked it.
It was obvious at the time that North Korea would react with more tests. There was a dispute about whether force could or would be used to search ships, and about the resolution still allowing a flow of small arms and light weapons.
But the Obama administration's attempt to stop leaks, even in that case by non-Americans, was evident even then.
Jump-cut to June 2012, when State Department-run Voice of America tried to get Inner City Press' UN accreditation "reviewed."
Documents obtained from VOA's Broadcast Board of Governors shows VOA bragging that Thomson Reuters,Agence France Presse, Bloomberg News and the UN Correspondents Association all supported the move.
Now jump-cut to May 2013, when the UN supported by UNCA, still controlled by Reuters and AFP, is trying to now limit press access to the Security Council -- no press work can be done there -- and ask yourself: who is against press freedom? The new Free UN Coalition for Access is opposing it. ng it: but which side is Obama's US Mission on?Watch this site.
