New Benghazi Books, from Exit the Colonel, a Guardian Short and Shalgam, Long: of Tony Blair and German Solar

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, October 20 -- Benghazi being one for the books, it has seemed time to cite some recent publications on and from Libya.

  Ethan Chorin's "Exit the Colonel," due for publication on October 23, is surprisingly light on the process at the UN, not even mentioning Resolution 1970 which referring Gaddafi & Co. to the International Criminal Court.

  But Chorin does recount how France "jumped the gun" after Resolution 1973 and began bombing with some eight Rafale jets in what they called Operation l'Harmattan.

 And, to his credit, Chorin critically memorializes that "as of 2008, [Tony] Blair was hired by the US bank JPMorgan to undertake business development in Libya." Blair, of course, continues as representative of the Quartet, while wheeling and dealing in Gaza.

   Chorin also offers this explanation of Germany's abstention on Resolution 1973: "German firms had already begun negotiations with the Libyans to create a vast solar power array in the Libyan desert capable of supplying up to 20 percent of Europe's industrial energy needs." Where is that project now?

  Inner City Press last week asked Libyan Ambassador Abdelrahman Shalgam if he was aware of Chorin's book. He was not, but recounted to Inner City Press anecdotes from his own 559 page book published by Dar al Madarek in Cairo year, about Gaddafi's people.

  Shalgam did not address the conflict in his mission, this time when an underling spoke about the the "siege" of Bani Walid and got fired for his advocacy.

  "He broke the chain of command," another Libyan diplomat told Inner City Press. But didn't Shalgam?

  Nor does "Exit the Colonel" mention Shalgam's deputy Ibrahim Dabbashi, still more active around the UN. It does, however, cite Chris Stevens in the Acknowledgments, as well as Shalgam and his book, several times.

  "Exit the Colonel: The Hidden History of the Libyan Revolution" has been praised by Joe Wilson and Libya uber-pundit Dirk Vandewalle, who was hired by the UN's Ian Martin to help whip up his oft-changed plan for a UN Mission in Libya.

 

The Guardian has put out a "short" by Martin Chulov and Luke Harding, "Libya: Murder in Benghazi and the Fall of Gaddafi." It seems an interesting format, with the Guardian reportedly considering like others dispensing entirely with a printed version. ""Exit the Colonel," too, is available as an e-book from Public Affairs. The hardcover lists at $29.99, so you might want to stay digital. Watch this site.

On Libya, Leaked UN Report Sees 200 Military Observers, NATO but Not AU Role Given by Ban Ki-moon: Exclusive

By Matthew Russell Lee, Must Credit ICP

UNITED NATIONS, August 26 -- Before rebel fighters entered Tripoli, and before UN Special Adviser Ian Martin traveled this week to Doha and Istanbul to belatedly meet with National Transitional Council officials, Martin on August 22 handed a detailed plan to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

After its requests to the UN to release the document, at least to member states, were denied, Inner City Press obtained a copy of the report and is putting it online today, here (10 page Martin report) and here (longer background report).

The UN Secretariat is proposing up to 200 Military Observers, to begin with a Multi-National Force led by two member states, up to 190 UN Police, and additional elections and other civil staff.

The report estimates that Gross Domestic Production could decline as much as 47%. It puts frozen Libyan assets at $150 billion, and recommends that many of the assets not be sold and quickly returned to Libya (Paragraph 136).

Martin's report offers some praise of the Qadhafi -- its spelling -- regime, for example in the fields of health and education (Paragraph 71). It speaks of "reforms" by Saif al-Islam, now indicted by the International Criminal Court, and former Prime Minister Ghanem.

It asserts that the (TNC) opposition engaged in some killings and property seizures, even constituting war crimes, and like Qadhafi used child soldiers (Paragraph 88). It several times expresses doubt about Qadhafi's "alleged" use of foriegn fighters or mercenaries.

The report assumes at a minimum sending military and police advisers and liaisons, saying that "no specific [Security] Council mandate would be required for these type of tasks."

It flatly says that "the Security Council's 'protection of civilians' mandate implemented by NATO does not end with the fall of the Qadhafi government and, therefore, NATO would continue to have some responsibilities." (Introduction, Paragraph 8)

Significantly, while it envisions a continued NATO presence, particularly in Tripoli, it allows for no role for the African Union. It archly notes that only in Qadhafi's post-coup declaration was Libya said to be part of Africa. As Inner City Press has reported, even staff in the UN Department of Political Affairs Africa Divisions have expressed outrage at this, as well as the central role assigned to "the Brit" Ian Martin, to the agitated displeasure of DPA chief Lynn Pascoe when Inner City Press asked him about it on August 25, click here for that.

Troubling, but perhaps indicative of Ban Ki-moon's UN, is the report's recommendation that non-State media be "monitored" lest it "rush to resort to public opinion."

While Pascoe called "extraordinary" the failed mediation work of Ban Ki-moon's envoy for Libya Abdul Ilah Al Khatib, Martin's report mentioned Al Khatib only once, as a person consulted with. (Al Khatib has throughout remained a paid Senator in Jordan.)

Also consulted were UN funds and programs (the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes wants in and UNDP plans a "Surge" and to play a role in procurement), the International Migration Organization and the World Bank -- but, despite discussion for example of currency stabilization and exchange rates, NOT the International Monetary Fund.

Even to compile the report, the UN and Martin reached outside of the UN System and hired Dartmouth professor Dirk Vandewalle as a consultant. When Inner City Press first asked, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq refused to even confirm Vandewalle's hiring.

This week, when Inner City Press asked that the report be released in light of Vandewalle's public description of his role, Haq said no, and his associate spokesperson even claimed the report is "not a UN document."

One of the many questions arising from the report is under what mandate, and with what accountability, the UN Secretariat developed this "post-conflict" Libya plan, and then refused to share it even with member states.

There will be many other questions. For now, in advance of the (August 16 video) meeting convened by Ban Ki-moon, Inner City Press is making the UN's plan public, as it should have been. Watch this site.

On Libya, Work of UN's Post-Conflict Expert Vandewalle Withheld from Press & States, Though Public Money Used: No FOIA at UN?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 23 -- The UN's role in Libya is ostensibly premised on its transparency to the public, and that it accountable to all and not just some of its member states.

So when UN consultant Dirk Vandewalle was quoted that he prepared a 30 page report, and three page summary for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and as describing these in a lecture at Dartmouth, it seemed fair for Inner City Press to ask about the summary he prepared, with public money, for this public institution.

But Ban's acting deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said "Those are not in any way public documents... "I wouldn't comment on the work he did as a consultant... preparing ideas for what the post-conflict situation will be."

The UN has no freedom of information act, apparently not even to its member states. Haq said "what we would give to Member States are the final documents. All documentss go through a process of editing and approval."

So is the UN editing down Vandewalle's work? Or as he said in his lecture, was his job to edit other UN documents? And how can the UN not "comment on the work he did as a consultant" with public money?

On August 15, Inner City Press asked Haq about another article which "quotes Dirk Vandewalle as a Libya expert at Dartmouth... is Dirk Vandewalle still a consultant to the UN and Ian Martin’s post-Qadhafi team, and if so, was his contract renewed? What’s the status of that?"

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: He is a consultant working with Ian Martin on the transition team, yes.

Inner City Press: Are his views attributable to the UN?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: His views on this particular topic, I believe, if you are referring to this particular article, he did that in his capacity as an expert at Dartmouth University.

Now with the UN saying it won't share Vandewalle's reports, which he is describing at a private university, with the public, press or even member states, Inner City Press asked if Vandevalle is in any way barred from disseminating his "confidential" work product?

Earlier, some in the UN question why Ian Martin was named Ban's "post-conflict" expert, when he needed yet another expert. Now, the views of this "post-conflict" team are opaque, even deemed confidential. This is the UN's legitimating function? We'll continue on this. Watch this site.

On Libya, UN Stonewalls on Flights of Volunteer Envoy, Confirms Hiring Vandewelle as a Consultant

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 12 -- The UN's engagement on Libya has come slightly more into focus, though still vague on money. On Monday, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy on Libya Abdul Ilah Al-Khatib told Inner City Press that he is still a “proud” Senator in his native Jordan, and works for the UN only as a volunteer.

On Tuesday, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky to confirm that Khatib demands and receives UN planes to fly from Jordan to locations other than Libya, and that he has UN-paid staff in Libya. Nesirky defended the flights without yet providing information, including if the planes come of the UN missions in the Congo or Sudan:

Inner City Press: At the stakeout yesterday, Mr. [Abdul Ilah] al-Khatib clarified and said he is now, he is a volunteer and remains a senator in Jordan. And I just, I don’t want to belabour it, except to say that some say there is still kind of a… the issue of serving both the UN and a Government at the same time, they’re not sure there is a precedent for that and think that OLA [Office for Legal Affairs] may have criticized it. And also I wanted to know whether in fact he’s flown, requests or demands a UN plane to fly from Jordan to various meetings not in Libya and also has UN staff in Jordan. What’s kind of the cost and what’s the… is the thinking, if he doesn’t personally receive a salary, there is no possible conflict of interest with being a sitting politician in a country in the region?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, I think Mr. Al-Khatib can speak for himself on that particular topic, and evidently did so yesterday. That’s the first thing. Second is that, of course, a special envoy working on a topic as high profile and complicated as this one could be expected to have people supporting him from the Department of Political Affairs, and that is certainly the case.

Inner City Press: his staff is someone that worked for him in the past? Was it a UN staff member forwarded to Amman? ... Is this a new trend?

Spokesperson: Well, let’s not extrapolate from one particular case. This is an important role that Mr. Al-Khatib has and is carrying out. He is widely respected in the region; he knows the players in the region and evidently has access to them, too. And that’s clearly, in the present circumstances, rather important. He obviously also needs to travel, not just to Libya but to other countries in the region. And another one would be, for example, the Contact Group meeting that’s going to take place in Istanbul. That’s quite normal and understandable for someone who is working on a topic in a role where he is precisely supposed to be coordinating and liaising between different groups and seeking to mediate a solution to this crisis.

Inner City Press: Do the planes… just one last thing, do the planes come from UNMIS [United Nations Mission in the Sudan] or from [MONUSCO in the Congo]

Spokesperson: I’d need to check what planes are used, if any. I would need to check on that. I don’t know the answer.

Seven hours later, no answer had yet been provided.

One answer that Nesirky's office did belatedly come up with concerned the UN's hiring of Dartmouth profession Dirk Vandewelle. Twice Nesirky's deputy Farhan Haq declined to confirm the hiring, which a UN source told Inner City Press was "pathetic." On Tuesday, Nesirky's office belatedly sent this:

Subject: Your question on Dirk Vandenwalle
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 10:03 AM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding your questions from last week, we can confirm that Dirk Vandenwalle is working with Ian Martin's team dealing with the transition in Libya. He was hired as a consultant.

But as what cost? And as some wonder, why would a Special Adviser need Political Advisers? Watch this site.

As UN Won't Confirm Hiring Vandewalle on Libya, Stonewalling Called "Pathetic" - By Another UN Official

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 7 -- In defense of the UN Spokesperson's Office refusals to answer simple questions, it is sometimes argued that the spokespeople don't have the information and so can't provide it. But the stonewalling, even on who the UN pays and how much, is often intentional.

On July 1, based on a press release by Dartmouth College, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's acting deputy spokesman Farhan Haq:

Inner City Press: Dartmouth has put out a press release that Professor [Dirk] Vandewalle, an author on the topic of Libya, has been hired by the UN as a Special Adviser to Ian Martin. Is that true? And what type of recruitment took place, and what’s his compensation? Can you confirm that?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: No, I don’t have a confirmation for that. You know that Mr. Martin is working on the post-transition work. If there is anything further to say about his team, I’ll let you know. But at this point, we don’t have any particular appointments to announce on that.

Back in the UN's North Lawn building, a senior UN official approached Inner City Press to say that he found Haq's answer “pathetic,” that “everyone knows that Ian Martin invited Vandewalle to give a brown bag lunch presentation and then hired him.” The official, citing what he characterized as the Ban Ki-moon administration's propensity for retaliation, has asked that his name not be published.

Going off the assumption that Haq simply hadn't known of Vandewalle's hiring on July 1, but would look into it and then confirm it, Inner City Press did not raise or write again about the issue for days. But nothing was said.

And so on July 7 Inner City Press asked Haq about it again, saying he'd said it wasn't clear --

Haq cut in to say that he had, in fact, refused to confirm it because “we don't publicly announce each level” of hiring.

But why refuse to confirm the hiring of a Political Adviser on a topic like Libya, on which Ban Ki-moon has been assigned something of a supervisory role by Security Council resolution 1973?

Inner City Press then recited what several senior UN official had told it about how Vandewalle was hired. Haq said that was, “like your characterization of my views, a little inaccurate.”

But Inner City Press hasn't trying to characterize Haq's “views” -- the request is simply that a spokesperson confirm or deny basic facts like who is being paid by the UN. Inner City Press asked, is Vandewalle being paid by the UN?

“I'll see if we have anything to say,” Haq replied.

While a senior UN official called this approach “pathetic,” we'll simply note that what is asked of spokespeople is not “views” or pre-packaged announcements, but timely answers to basic factual questions about the UN, including who has been hired as a Political Adviser, and how. We will continue on this.

From the UN's transcription of its July 7, 2011 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: I want to ask about, on Libya, I think it was last week I asked if this Dirk Vandewalle, author and professor, had been hired by the UN as a Special Adviser to Ian Martin. You said it wasn’t clear. I mean, I have asked again over there…

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: That’s not what I said.

Inner City Press: What did you say?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: That’s not what I said. I said I don’t have a confirmation to give on that. I didn’t say it wasn’t clear.

Inner City Press: Okay. Do you still, don’t have a confirmation, because it’s been confirmed to me over there…

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: We don’t publicly announce each and every appointment at each and every level of this Organization. For senior level appointments, as you know, we do make those announcements.

Inner City Press: In this case, I guess the reason I would like to ask you is that some have wondered, if Ian Martin is the Special Adviser, why does he need a special advisor? And the question is: how was the guy recruited? Is, how is he being paid, does he, can the UN just hire anyone that comes in and makes a brown bag lunch presentation, just hand him, I mean, I think it’s…

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: I think, much like what you said about my views, that’s a little inaccurate. The basic point is that Mr. Martin will have a team of people working with him, as he is entitled to do, and they would be paid.

Inner City Press: Is Mr. Vandewalle being paid by the UN [inaudible]?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: I’ll see whether we have anything to say about that....

Why refuse to confirm what Dartmouth announced a week ago in a press release?