by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, Feb 5 – For weeks Inner City Press has asked the UN and its media people, including Stephane Dujarric and News and Media chief Ian Phillips, about evidence that UNRWA workers took part in the October 7 attacks. No answers at all - censorship.
Now after SG Antonio Guterres' belated and begrudging acknowledgment, the UN assigned its OIOS to cover up, as it has done before, see here.
Then to complete the cover up, Guterres named Colonna. Inner City Press immediately in writing asked his spokesperson: "state how SG Guterres selected Catherine Colonna, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, who will work with three research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights - and summarize / provide copies of all communications with these on this topic (UNRWA) before SG Guterres selected them." No answer, and no one they let in asked.
Tellingly, even of Guterres cries poor to 35 member states, UNRWA is still hiring, with applications for post until through Feb 7, posted five days ago. No answers.
Does the UN corrupt everyone that goes to work for it?
Given the inflated salaries it pays its officials, the UN can collect and try to buttress its credibility with for example name-brand journalists. But what freedoms do they give up, and how low do they go?
In 2023 the UN hired Ian Phillips, once the Associated Press' head of (get this) journalist safety. His LinkedIn profile, after moving to the UN, states that his "role includes advisory and policy work, with particular focus on press freedom."
So Inner City Press, having been roughed up by UN Security and then banned from entering or getting even its written questions asked, last week wrote to Ian Phillips at the UN - and through his LinkedIn profile:
Hello Mr. Phillips. I am asking you to look into this and ensure that the UN Media and Accreditation Unit fairly process, and rule on, my pending application for (re) accreditation. Two separate law firms have written the UN pro bono on my behalf, without answer."
No answer at all.
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