By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 29 -- After the Western Sahara vote of the Security Council, after Morocco's Ambassador Omar Hilale told Inner City Press that No, Polisario cannot speak at the UN Television stakeout due to some UN rule, a turf war broke out by the Security Council.
A dozen tourists came to the stakeout to take pictures of themselves, in essence group selfies. An alert UN Security officer asked them who was escorting them. After some confusion, a diplomat emerged and argued that it was fine.
As the rule was explained to him -- the rule banning Polisario has yet to be explained to the Free UN Coalition for Access -- the diplomat refused to leave, telling UN Security, "You work for me." Really?
We note that some countries are so "in" with the UN they bring into the building anyone they want, anytime they want. Still, one wonder what will happen in this case. Just yesterday several countries argued persuasively in the UN's Committee on Information that their languages are under-represented in favor not only of English, but most gallingly French, not even the second more popular language of those visiting the UN virtually, via its website.
It hearkens back to September 2011 when as Inner City Press first reported the security detail of Turkey's Erdogan fought with and injured UN Security -- and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon ran and apologized to Turkey. We'll see - watch this site.
