On Libya, No UNSC Agreement Even on "Ban-like" Statement, US Said to Block

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- Amid the fighting in Bani Walid, Libya, the UN Security Council met Tuesday morning on a proposed press statement drafted by Russia. On his way in, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the press the draft tracks what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on the topic.

  But midway through the closed door meeting, another Security Council member told Inner City Press, "we should pass something on Bani Walid but US not making it easy."

  And when the meeting broke up, the draft statement (which Inner City Press put online last night) had not been agreed to. UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said that Libyan authorities were being reminded of international humanitarian law.

  Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant, who is doing this reminding? He said his government and he believed the US as well.

  Another Security Council source told Inner City Press that US would not accept the Council press statement. "Nothing until after the election," the source said. Another said this first year anniversary was not the time for a "discordant note." And so it goes at the UN.

 

Footnote: if the Council could not agree on, essentially, Ban Ki-moon's statement on Bani Walid, the two Russian drafted statements on Syria seem even less likely to some. Lakhdar Brahimi will brief the Council by video in the morning. Watch this site.

At UN, UK Starts Libya Mission Draft With Martin, Unfreezing Not So Fast

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 7 -- With the UN's and Ian Martin's plan to send military observers to Libya having been shot down by the National Transitional Council, as a fallback the UN wants to focus on prisons and the training of police.

Well-placed Security Council sources told Inner City Press on September 7 that the United Kingdom is drafting a resolution to create a UN Libya mission, and that the UK is "waiting to hear back from Ian Martin" on its contours. The UK shouldn't have much trouble reaching Ian "the Brit" Martin.

Meanwhile despite some loud unfreezings of Libyan assets, sources say that it is not smooth sailing for the other pending unfreezing requests.

"The money wouldn't go to the Libyan people," a dubious Security Council diplomat told Inner City Press on Wednesday morning. "It would go to the Contact Group" -- since renamed the Group of Friends of Libya -- "that is, to some nations claiming to act on behalf of the Libyan people."

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's moonlighting mediator Al Khatib appears entirely off the scene. Even as the NTC negotiated with those in Bani Walid, Al Khatib was nowhere to be seen.

"It's over for Khatib," a well placed Permanent Representative told Inner City Press on Tuesday night. "Ian Martin has won. But what has he won?"

At the September 6 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's new Deputy Spokesman Eduardo del Buey about Khatib's role:

Inner City Press: what’s the role now of this, Mr. Al-Khatib, as mediator? I mean, there is this stand-off between the, the NTC and the Qadhafi supporters in Bani Walid which seems to call out for some kind of mediation; is he totally out of the game now? When is the last time he went to Libya? What is his continuing role with the UN as a mediator between these two parties?

Deputy Spokesperson del Buey: He continues in his role as he had been appointed to, and it is a question now of the hostilities coming to a cessation and the transition over to the post Qadhafi era in Libya, where Ian Martin’s group will take over and do the work with the Transitional Council to implement the changes that are going to take place in Libya.

Inner City Press: did the UN ask the NTC if they had any desire for this kind of mediation, they have been obviously speaking to, to Qadhafi supporters and tribes there, but it seems to be a kind of a mediat-able (sic), you know, mediation situation. Is there no role for Mr. Al-Khatib in that?

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I’ll have to find out and get back to you on that.

We'll be waiting. Watch this site.