By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 27 – Nine days after a confirmation hearing in which she called for accountability at the UN, including for peacekeepers' abuses, Nikki Haley on January 27 came to the UN and delivered brief remarks in the lobby, to "take names" to start cutting (while supporting what works.) Video here.
Transcript below.
Transcript below.
Here's one: Jeffrey Feltman, closely aligned with Hilary Clinton, arranging an extension on taxpayer money through June, so that his UN pension vests. Inner City Press exclusive here.
On January 26, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about a reform Haley mentioned three times during her confirmation here. Video here. UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: you keep saying that this "Auditing and reducing US funding of international organizations" is not yet signed, but the now confirmed US Ambassador to the UN, three times in her confirmation hearing, said that the UN should not pay troop-contributing countries whose peacekeepers are found to have abused. So I wanted to know, what's the threshold currently of the number of OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) , certified or probable cause findings that would trigger a cutting off of funding or the non-use in the future of a troop-contributing country, given that 25 obviously doesn't make it?
Spokesman: Obviously, these issues are being taken very seriously and are examined on a case-by-case basis.
Inner City Press: One of the proposals that's been made even prior to the next year's budget is simply the possible veto or threat of veto of the renewing of mandates of peacekeeping missions. What I wanted to know is, how does that work? I've seen the Georgia mission once was disbanded due to a naming issue. But are there contingency plans in place if the mandate for a functioning, several-thousand-troop peacekeeping mission comes up and it's not extended? What happens? How does it keep getting paid?
Spokesman: Well, I… the… you know, we've had missions draw down. It happen… if I'm not mistaken, I think a… one of the UN's previous missions in Haiti at some point was vetoed by a permanent member of the Security Council. These things are extremely unfortunate, but we have to abide by the rulings of the Security Council.
Spokesman: Obviously, these issues are being taken very seriously and are examined on a case-by-case basis.
Inner City Press: One of the proposals that's been made even prior to the next year's budget is simply the possible veto or threat of veto of the renewing of mandates of peacekeeping missions. What I wanted to know is, how does that work? I've seen the Georgia mission once was disbanded due to a naming issue. But are there contingency plans in place if the mandate for a functioning, several-thousand-troop peacekeeping mission comes up and it's not extended? What happens? How does it keep getting paid?
Spokesman: Well, I… the… you know, we've had missions draw down. It happen… if I'm not mistaken, I think a… one of the UN's previous missions in Haiti at some point was vetoed by a permanent member of the Security Council. These things are extremely unfortunate, but we have to abide by the rulings of the Security Council.
We'll see. Here's what Haley said:
"Good morning. In South Carolina, we start off the days great. You know, it’s a thrill to be here at the UN. I will tell you that we have hit the ground running. There is a new USUN. We talked to the staff yesterday, and you are going to see a change in the way we do business. It’s no longer about working harder – it’s about working smarter, and we have a fantastic team at the USUN that’s ready to prove that.
Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN, and the way that we’ll show value is to show our strength, show our voice, have the backs of our allies, and make sure that our allies have our back, as well. For those who don’t have our back, we’re taking names – we will make points to respond to that accordingly. But this is a time of strength, this is a time of action, this is a time of getting things done. And this administration is prepared and ready to go in – to have me go in, look at the UN, and everything that’s working, we’re going to make it better; everything that’s not working, we’re going to try and fix; and anything that seems to be obsolete and not necessary, we’re going to do away with. But this is a time of fresh eyes, new strength, new vision, and a great day at the USUN. Thank you very much."
Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN, and the way that we’ll show value is to show our strength, show our voice, have the backs of our allies, and make sure that our allies have our back, as well. For those who don’t have our back, we’re taking names – we will make points to respond to that accordingly. But this is a time of strength, this is a time of action, this is a time of getting things done. And this administration is prepared and ready to go in – to have me go in, look at the UN, and everything that’s working, we’re going to make it better; everything that’s not working, we’re going to try and fix; and anything that seems to be obsolete and not necessary, we’re going to do away with. But this is a time of fresh eyes, new strength, new vision, and a great day at the USUN. Thank you very much."
On January 24, Inner City Press asked former UN official, now Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallstrom about Haley's call to defund countries whose peacekeepers abuse. Tweeted video here. There are reforms needed at the UN.
Back on January 18 before Haley spoke as nominee for US Ambassador to the UN, Senator Bob Corker said he sometimes wondered if just-left Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had a pulse.
In fact, Ban was quite active in helping his own relatives at the UN, promoting his son in law to the top UN job in Kenya, his brother mining in Myanmar with a "UN delegation," indicted nephew using Ban's name to sell real estate.
When Haley began, she said the UN has a "checkered history." That's being diplomatic. Consider a head of Peacekeeping who has linked rapes to R&R, video here.
Consider a head of the UN "Department of Public Information" who did no due diligence over indicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng - then evicted and still restricts the Press which asked here about it. Audit here, Para 37-40, 20b; NYT here.
In response to questions, Haley praised the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, questioned the one in South Sudan and that country's government. She noted that countries make money off their peacekeepers. The case in point, we note, is Burundi, here.
