Assad's Shabeeha Urged by Annan to Disarm & "Work With UN," More Mood?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- Kofi Annan's call to lay down weapons and "work with the UN" extends not only to Syrian governmental and opposition forces, but also to the pro-Assad shabeeha militias, Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told Inner City Press on Sunday.

  Earlier in the day Annan issued a statement that "I urge all forces whether governmental, opposition or others to put down their weapons and work with the United Nations monitors." 

 

  Inner City Press wondered, and asked Fawzi, what forces with weapons are these "others," neither governmental or opposition?

Some hours later, Fawzi replied answer this (and three other question), starting that

"There are armed groups close to the government (shabeeha). Opposition and uniformed government forces do not have a monopoly on weapons."

The answer is appreciated. Still, it seems strange to also call on these militia mercenaries to "work with the UN monitors." How?

In terms of the now-approved monitoring mission's work, Inner City Press asked Fawzi, 

"on air assets, is the ideal / idea to use UN system aircraft from other missions?"

Fawzi replied, "The UN prefers to use its own chartered aircraft if and when possible."

Inner City Press also asked Fawzi, "what's the process for (and status of) choosing the force commander?"

Sources in Norway told Inner City Press that Robert Mood, the General who abruptly left Damascus leading Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin to call him unprofessional, appeared on Norwegian TV to say he is awaiting word from the UN and would return to Syria. What would Churkin and Russia say?

Here is what Fawzi said, in response to Inner City Press: "Force Commanders are, I believe, nominated by Member States via DPKO, and appointed by the Secretary General." 

 

So will Norway nominate Mood? Watch this site

Here is Fawzi's response:

From: Ahmad Fawzi
Date: Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 5:14 PM
Subject: Re: Hi, Press Qs on "other" forces in corrected statement, Friday patrols, aircraft, thanks
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Hi.v 1) There are armed groups close to the government (shabeeha). Opposition and uniformed government forces do not have a monopoly on weapons. 

 

2) I put the following clarification out on Friday:

"Comments by UN Observer Team Leader Col. Himmiche today were taken out of context. There is no policy not to 'work' Fridays. 

 

Today the UN Observers were regrouping, dealing with administrative and logistical issues, liaising with the UN country team and planning for their patrol (to Homs) tomorrow." 

 

3) Force Commanders are, I believe, nominated by Member States via DPKO, and appointed by the SG. 

 

4) The UN prefers to use its own chartered aircraft if and when possible.

Best,

Ahmad

On April 20 Inner City Press asked US State Department Spokeperson Victoria Nuland:
 

Inner City Press: The Moroccan colonel who’s leading the UN team there now has been quoted that he’s not going to take his team out on Fridays. He doesn’t want to be used politically. There’s a quote to that effect. And I’m just wondering, since it seems that one of the purposes of the observer mission is to allow people to protest, and that’s a big day they want to protest, what would the U.S. think of that?

MS. NULAND: Well, first of all, I haven’t seen the comments of the Moroccan lead. As I said, all of the modalities for these peacekeepers are being reviewed based on the experience of the initial group, and they have to be worked out through a new Security Council resolution, and obviously, we have to see how it goes on the ground.

  Transcript here. More has been written since, about the Colonel's comments. So Inner City Press has asked Fawzi:

"do you have a comment or gloss on the Moroccan colonel saying the observers would go out on Fridays, to not be used? On Friday I asked the US State Department, particularly in light of Friday being a/the big protest day, but they hadn't yet seen the quote. Can you comment or explain the Colonel's statement?"

  The question was asked answered, and immediately published here. Watch this site.

Syria Observing Halt on Fridays Not Seen in Foggy Bottom, W. Sahara Disparity

By Matthew Russell Lee

WASHINGTON DC, April 20 -- The US is pushing for full freedom of movement for UN observers in Syria, but was apparently beaten to the initial punch by a resolution circulated to Security Council members by Russia on Friday morning.

  Inner City Press went to the US State Department briefing and asked spokesperson Victoria Nuland about the Russian resolution, and to compare it on the issue of freedom of movement to a resolution the US is prepared to vote for which accepts surveillance of the UN Mission in Western Sahara by the Moroccan government.

  Nuland replied that "I understood from my colleagues in New York, at the US Mission to the UN, that we are working off a single draft. I'm going to send you up to them."

   Not from them, but even the Russian draft

"Calls upon the Syrian government to ensure the effective operation of UNSMIS by: facilitating the expeditious and unhindered deployment of its personnel and capabilities as required to fulfil its mandate; ensuring its full, unimpeded, and immediate freedom of movement and access as necessary to fulfil its mandate; allowing its unobstructed communications; and allowing it to freely and privately communicate with individuals throughout Syria without retaliation against any person as a result of interaction with UNSMIS."

  On the still unanswered contrast between the US position on UN freedom of movement in Syria and Western Sahara, Nuland replied that in Morocco and Syria "the situation is different, the history is different. In case of Syria, what we have seen all over the country is peaceful protest met with regime violence.. We must make sure we can monitor."

  Does this mean that the people of Western Sahara's fight for a referendum on self-determination is not peaceful? And how about what was said of the UN always standing up for its freedom of movement?

In fact, the current UN observers in Syria seem to be voluntarily curtailing their movement, at least on the major protest day of Friday. Inner City Press asked Nuland about this quote:

"'We don’t want to be used as a tool for escalating the situation. So we will avoid going out on patrol on Fridays,' said Colonel Ahmed Himmiche, head of the initial UN mission in Syria."

This was said in Damascus on April 19, and picked up (and linked to) by the New York Times on the morning of April 20. Nuland said, "I haven't seen the comments of the Moroccan lead" but the issues "have to be worked out through a Security Council resolution."

A meeting on that begins Friday at 5 pm. Watch this site.