India Diplomat Khobragade Now Gets Same Immunity as French Diplomat Romain Serman Got, After Araud Threats: Double Standards

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 -- Today the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York granted Indian diplomat Khabragade the same immunity that French diplomat Romain Serman availed himself of - but which theFrench Mission to the UN under Gerard Araud has tried to cover up.

  The difference is that Khobagade was told she would be arrested if she tried to re-enter the US, while Serman has already come back, as France's Consul in San Fransisco. 

  Following the US indictment of Khobragade in early January for underpaying a domestic worker, Inner City Press cited the case of French diplomat Serman, about which it had asked the French Mission to the UN for comment.

  While the French Mission had declined to comment and instead made only threats, twice on January 13 French Ambassador Gerard Araud summoned Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout and shouted.

  His spokesperson had told Inner City Press that pursuing the story was a "hostile act." And on January 13, when Inner City Press asked when his spokesperson had declined the opportunity to comment, Araud insisted it was all just outrageous, and made other threats.

  Since that day, Araud has refused to answer any questionsfrom Inner City Press, including on France's insistence on still selling Mistral warships to warships to Russia even as it purports to deplore its actions in Crimea.

  Back in 2011 Inner City Press uncovered and exclusively reported on the case of a French diplomat, Romain Serman, who after resisting arrest while allegedly buying cocaine was later allowed to leave the country. See story here, arrest report here.

  In connection with that story, Inner City Press expressly asked the French Mission to the UN to comment on, explain or contest the NYPD arrest record document.  They did not -- rather, Inner City Press was told that it being published was a "hostile act."

   The French Mission took other actions that form another story. But the point is, the French Mission was asked for comment, and made none.

   Now, 32 months later, French Ambassador Araud approached Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout just after 10 am on January 13. He said the arrest document is from 2006 but Serman did not leave the US until 2007. He said, "if you had checked --"

  Inner City Press replied that his Mission was asked for comment but gave none, only threats.

  Araud said, "You let me finish first!"  Inner City Press continued to listen, but as soon as Araud finished he turned and walked into the Security Council.

  Later on January 13, at 1 pm with the Security Council's consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo still ongoing, Ambassador Araud emerged and again began shouting at Inner City Press. While we'll have more on this, notably Araud still did not explain why, when given the chance to comment, it had responded only with threats.

   Why was no comment given by the French Mission back in April 2011, including on the other leaked documents they objected to about the UN mission on Cote d'Ivoire ONUCI and other topics? There is more to be said on all this as well.

 But, in comparison to Ms. Khobragade, it seems clear that Serman was NOT placed on any US watch list, because he not only returned to the US -- he is now France's consul in San Francisco.

  While it may be debatable if resisting arrest for attemped cocaine purchase is more or less serious than allegedly underpaying a domestic worker, the disparity in US treatment between the French and Indian and French diplomat has still not been explained.

  Usually the agreement upon being allowed to leave the US in this way is that the person will not come back to the US. But Romain Serman came back to the US -- as France's consul in San Francisco, still.

  When Inner City Press reported this, the then spokesperson of the French mission demanded that Inner City Press remove the story from the Internet. 

  As with stories on Sri Lanka that the United Nations Correspondents Association demanded be taken down from the Internet or Inner City Press face expulsion, Inner City Press refused. The French spokesperson called this a "hostile act" (Inner City Press countered that it was an act of journalism) and things proceeded from there.

  This becomes even more relevant now in light of reports not only of the disparity in indictment of Khobragade versus none for the French Serman, but of US State Department spokesperson Psaki's comments last week about Khobragade being put on a watch list. 

  Back in April 2011, Inner City Press asked spokespeople at the US Mission to the UN and then Mark Toner at the State Department, "Was the State Department aware of Serman's arrest record when he re-entered in 2010, and how does applicable law and precedent allow this?"

 And we're still waiting for a response, as we are to FOIA requests pending at the State Department. Soon the new Free UN Coalition for Access will have to get on this case. Watch this site.

   

At UN on Child Soldiers, Of Free Syrian Army & UNICEF Backpacks, French Hypocrisy in CAR: Araud Goes Ladsous

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 9 -- When Children and Armed Conflict was the topic in the UN Security Council on March 7, and more than 60 member states addressed it, they left a basic piece of UN accountability UNaddressed.

The head of UN Peacekeeping has allowed one of the UN listed recruiters of child soldiers to participate in blue helmets in the UN Peacekeeping mission in Mail, and prospectively in the Central African Republic -- and had refused to answer Press questions about it. See March 6 video, here, at 4:40 and 5:55; here for UK and video compilation.

  So while speech after speech at the UN says how serious the issue is, it is all undercut by UN Peacekeeping's actual, UNexplained practice.

  This month's Security Council president, Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg, is willing to answer questions. But on this one, when Inner City Press asked at the beginning of the month at her Program of Work press conference, Lucas referred to Ladsous and something he supposedly said in an event outside of the UN. Ladsous left that event early, after at most nine minutes of questions most of which were taken up, filibuster-style, by his own DPKO staff.

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, under whom Ladsous has been allowed to be UNaccountable, began the proceedings by citing a UN rule against peacekeepers using schools. But apparently there is no rule against the UN using a child soldier recruiter.

  Anthony Lake of UNICEF, who also answers questions, spoke next. But it remains unclear what the UN system did when Salva Kiir's South Sudan army, to which UN Peacekeeping has provided support, used blue UNICEF backpacks as they marched off toward armed combat with Riek Machar's forces this year.

US Ambassador Samantha Power praised the UN going to Myanmar -- she called it Burma -- in search of an action plan. But she did not mention: the UN, under Vijay Nambiar, has invited Myanmar's army to send soldiers to Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping.

Later, Sri Lanka Ambassador Palitha Kohona told stories of how seriously the Rajapaksa government takes the protection of children. But as simply one example, what about the documented execution of a 12-year old up in what even the UN called the "Bloodbath on the Beach"?

  French Ambassador Gerard Araud, who has "gone Ladsous" and refuses to answer Press questions while issuing dubious denials off-camera at the Security Council stakeout, said there is a UN "dialogue" with the Free Syrian Army. 

  But the UN's Leila Zerrougui, who does answer answers, later acknowledged on camera that there is no Action Plan. So how can France and others provide support to the FSA, and claim they're taking the child soldier recruitment issue seriously?

Araud last week claimed that there IS no Navi Pillay reportthat France's disarming the ex Seleka in Central African Republic put Muslim communities at risk -- but here it is. (For more on France's dubious deals in Africa, click here.)

  Araud earlier this year denied that French diplomat Romain Serman, now the country's consul in San Francisco, was detained by New York police for attempted cocaine purchase -- but here is that record. 

 Did Araud, as he claims, not tell Javier Barden that on Western Sahara, Morocco is France's mistress? Is there noNavi Pillay report on France putting Muslims at risk?

  The Philippines spoke and criticized a UN report linking the areas impacted by Haiyan to "armed conflict," saying there are totally separate regions. But as Araud's recent denials and joining Ladsous in unaccountability show, this is the new UN.

  Children and armed conflict is a serious topic, but it's too easy to denounce some armed groups like making excuses for others, then incorporated a listed recruiter into UN Peacekeeping and allow its boss, the fourth Frenchman in a row in the position, to refuse to answer questions about it. 

 This is what the UN has become. Watch this site.

   

As Francois Hollande Dines at White House With Victoria Nuland, Central African Republic Sins UNaddressed, To SF from DC

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 11 -- While Francois Hollande in Washington prepared to dine with President Obama, Victoria "F- the EU" Nuland, Al Sharpton and Samantha Power, his name was invoked at the UN in New York by French Ambassador Gerard Araud, vowing to "go all the way" on the Syria humanitarian draft resolution. Click here for that and here for Russia's reaction.

   Also in the (White) House for the State Dinner were Chuck Schumer, Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Bronxite Mary J. Blige.

  Earlier on February 11, Hollande and Obama had discussed the Central African Republic, with nary a mention that the UN's Navi Pillay said on January 20 that France put Muslim communities there at risk of attack by first disarming the ex Seleka. 

   Back on February 10 a correspondent from Le Figaro asked, Why isn't Hollande being allowed to speak to a joint session of Congress, as on visits by previous French presidents?

   A self-described Senior Administration Official cited Hollande's scheduling, that he's traveling to "California to visit some of our most innovative business." And it's true, on February 12 Hollande is slated to be in San Francisco, where France has a consulate which Inner City Press has previously covered.

  Voice of America, which is in essence US state media, asked a questions about the "counter-terrorism" operation in Central African Republic. It seemed a strange formulation; to some it cast in a different light what UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says was France putting Muslim communities at risk by first disarming the ex Seleka.

  Al Hayat asked what President Obama can "offer" Hollande on Syria, and if the US will be attending a Friends of Lebanon Group meeting in Paris. The Senior Administration Official responded that Obama and Hollande will discuss efforts on humanitarian aid in Syria: seemingly, the draft UN Security Council resolution that Russia has already said is a non-starter.

  While the Senior Administration Official said Obama and Hollande will talk about Syria's "moderate opposition," there was no mention, or question, about the UN's finding that the Free Syrian Army recruits and uses child soldiers, supposedly a big issue for France (and subject of the US 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act). We'll have more on this.

  In other diplomatic news, in UN Federal court in New York a UN Office of Legal Affairs letter has been filed stating that Indian diplomat Khobragade, who was arrested and strip searched and who the US says it will still go after if she returns to the US, had or obtained full diplomatic immunity. Watch this site.

   

Hyping Hollande, White House Talks Up Syria Aid, Nothing on FSA Child Soldiers, No Congress Because San Francisco

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 10 -- To pump up French president Francois Hollande's solo visit to the United States, the White House held a background press call on February 10. A correspondent from Le Figaro asked, Why isn't Hollande being allowed to speak to a joint session of Congress, as on visits by previous French presidents?

A self-described Senior Administration Official cited Hollande's scheduling, that he's traveling to "California to visit some of our most innovative business." And it's true, on February 12 Hollande is slated to be in San Francisco, where France has a consulate which Inner City Press has previously covered.

  Voice of America, which is in essence US state media, asked a questions about the "counter-terrorism" operation in Central African Republic. It seemed a strange formulation; to some it cast in a different light what UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says was France putting Muslim communities at risk by first disarming the ex Seleka.

  Al Hayat asked what President Obama can "offer" Hollande on Syria, and if the US will be attending a Friends of Lebanon Group meeting in Paris. The Senior Administration Official responded that Obama and Hollande will discuss efforts on humanitarian aid in Syria: seemingly, the draft UN Security Council resolution that Russia has already said is a non-starter.

  While the Senior Administration Official said Obama and Hollande will talk about Syria's "moderate opposition," there was no mention, or question, about the UN's finding that the Free Syrian Army recruits and uses child soldiers, supposedly a big issue for France (and subject of the US 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act). We'll have more on this.

  In other diplomatic news, in UN Federal court in New York a UN Office of Legal Affairs letter has been filed stating that Indian diplomat Khobragade, who was arrested and strip searched and who the US says it will still go after if she returns to the US, had or obtained full diplomatic immunity. Watch this site.

   

French Mission Had No Comment on Its Diplomat Serman, Only Threats; Now Shouts Twice After 34 Months

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 13 -- Following last week's US indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade for underpaying a domestic worker, Inner City Press cited the case of French diplomat Romain Serman, about which it had asked the French Mission to the UN for comment.

  While the French Mission had declined to comment and instead made only threats, twice on January 13 French Ambassador Gerard Araud summoned Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout and shouted.

  His spokesperson had told Inner City Press that pursuing the story was a "hostile act." And on January 13, when Inner City Press asked when his spokesperson had declined the opportunity to comment, Araud insisted it was all just outrageous, and made other threats.

  Back in 2011 Inner City Press uncovered and exclusively reported on the case of a French diplomat, Romain Serman, who after resisting arrest while allegedly buying cocaine was later allowed to leave the country. See story here, arrest report here.

  In connection with that story, Inner City Press expressly asked the French Mission to the UN to comment on, explain or contest the NYPD arrest record document.  They did not -- rather, Inner City Press was told that it being published was a "hostile act."

   The French Mission took other actions that form another story. But the point is, the French Mission was asked for comment, and made none.

   Now, 32 months later, French Ambassador Araud approached Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout just after 10 am on January 13. He said the arrest document is from 2006 but Serman did not leave the US until 2007. He said, "if you had checked --"

  Inner City Press replied that his Mission was asked for comment but gave none, only threats.

  Araud said, "You let me finish first!"  Inner City Press continued to listen, but as soon as Araud finished he turned and walked into the Security Council.

  Later on January 13, at 1 pm with the Security Council's consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo still ongoing, Ambassador Araud emerged and again began shouting at Inner City Press. While we'll have more on this, notably Araud still did not explain why, when given the chance to comment, it had responded only with threats.

   Why was no comment given by the French Mission back in April 2011, including on the other leaked documents they objected to about the UN mission on Cote d'Ivoire ONUCI and other topics? There is more to be said on all this as well.

 But, in comparison to Ms. Khobragade, it seems clear that Serman was NOT placed on any US watch list, because he not only returned to the US -- he is now France's consul in San Francisco.

  While it may be debatable if resisting arrest for attemped cocaine purchase is more or less serious than allegedly underpaying a domestic worker, the disparity in US treatment between the French and Indian and French diplomat has still not been explained.

  Usually the agreement upon being allowed to leave the US in this way is that the person will not come back to the US. But Romain Serman came back to the US -- as France's consul in San Francisco, still.

  When Inner City Press reported this, the then spokesperson of the French mission demanded that Inner City Press remove the story from the Internet. 

  As with stories on Sri Lanka that the United Nations Correspondents Association demanded be taken down from the Internet or Inner City Press face expulsion, Inner City Press refused. The French spokesperson called this a "hostile act" (Inner City Press countered that it was an act of journalism) and things proceeded from there.

  This becomes even more relevant now in light of reports not only of the disparity in indictment of Khobragade versus none for the French Serman, but of US State Department spokesperson Psaki's comments last week about Khobragade being put on a watch list. 

  Back in April 2011, Inner City Press asked spokespeople at the US Mission to the UN and then Mark Toner at the State Department, "Was the State Department aware of Serman's arrest record when he re-entered in 2010, and how does applicable law and precedent allow this?"

 And we're still waiting for a response, as we are to FOIA requests pending at the State Department. Soon the new Free UN Coalition for Access will have to get on this case. Watch this site.

   

US Says Indian Diplomat Khobragade Would Be "On Watchlist," But US Let French Dip Romain Serman Return as Consul in SF

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 10 -- Following yesterday's US indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade for underpaying a domestic worker, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki today said that Khobragade was told that if she applies for another visa to the US, her name would be placed on a watch list.

  Back in 2011, though, Inner City Press uncovered and exclusively reported on the case of a French diplomat, Romain Serman, who after assaulting a New York Police Department officer while allegedly buying cocaine was allowed to leave the country before any indictment. See story here, arrest report here.

  It seems clear that Serman was NOT placed on any watch list, because he not only returned to the US -- he is now France's consul in San Francisco.

  While it may be debatable if assaulting a police officer when being arrested for cocaine purchase is more or less serious than allegedly underpaying a domestic worker, the disparity in US treatment between the French and Indian and French diplomat cannot be missed.

  The Indian diplomat was arrested, booked and stripped searched, indicted and told she'd be put on a visa watch list. The French diplomat Romain Serman was allowed to quietly leave the country without any indictment, and was allowed to return, as consul.

  Usually the agreement upon being allowed to leave the US in this way is that the person will not come back to the US. But, amazingly, Romain Serman came back to the US -- as France's consul in San Francisco, still.

  When Inner City Press reported this, the then spokesperson of the French mission demanded that Inner City Press remove the story from the Internet. 

  As with stories on Sri Lanka that the United Nations Correspondents Association demanded be taken down from the Internet or Inner City Press face expulsion, Inner City Press refused. The French spokesperson called this a "hostile act" (Inner City Press countered that it was an act of journalism) and things proceeded from there.

  This becomes even more relevant now in light of reports not only of the disparity in indictment of Khobragade versus none for the French Serman, but of US State Department spokesperson Psaki's comments today about being put on a watch list. 

  Back in April 2011, Inner City Press asked spokespeople at the US Mission to the UN and then Mark Toner at the State Department, "Was the State Department aware of Serman's arrest record when he re-entered in 2010, and how does applicable law and precedent allow this?"

 And we're still waiting for a response, as we are to FOIA requests pending at the State Department. Soon the new Free UN Coalition for Access will have to get on this case. Watch this site.

   

As Circa Misplaces ICC-Indictee Bashir of Sudan, Echo of Non-Action on Reuters Spying for UN

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 -- Circa, based in San Francisco, calls itself "news, re-imagined." In late May with some fanfare it hired Reuters then social media editor Anthony De Rosa as its editor in chief.

  At Inner City Press we are rooting for new media, new approaches. So when Circa reported today on George Clooney spying on Sudan and its International Criminal Court indicted president Omar al Bashir, we chimed in with the fact that Bashir met with the head of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, only this month.

  Inner City Press previously questioned why Human Rights watch ignored this UN entanglement to only focus on Bashir's trip to an HIV / AIDS conference in Nigeria. HRW's Ken Roth called Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan a "coward" for not arresting Bashir, but said nothing of the UN's Ladsous meeting with him.

  Soon we learned that Circa has reported that Bashir had fled TO Nigeria, rather than the other way around. And Circa reached out to ask where Bashir was now. Well, back in Sudan (though he's headed to Iran on August 4 for Rouhani's inauguration.)

  The mistake would seem to indicate a dearth of foreign policy chops at Circa; fine. And they replied that they've now updated their story, wherever it is. But we can't help remembering: when De Rosa was at Reuters, ostensibly its bridge to the world of social media, he was told of problems.

  He was shown that Reuters UN bureau chief tried to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN. He was shown the connection between Reuters and anonymous social media trolling of Inner City Press. 

  The Reuters UN bureau chief, Lou Charbonneau, has beenshown to have essentially spied for the UN. Charbonneau gave the UN's top Media Accreditation official an internal anti-Press document of the UN Correspondents Association, three minutes after he promised that it would stay within UNCA.

  Story here, audio here, document here, saying "you didn't get this from me."

  Old media Reuters big wigs Stephen J. Adler, Greg McCune, Paul Ingrassia and Walden Siew were all contacted but did nothing.

   But DeRosa never did anything about this either, despite the "social media" in his title. Then one thought that when he left the hegemon, and went hipster at Circa, he might do something. But no, nothing, at least not so far. Some things, however, require action.

  It's fine for a start up social news company to not know, really, who the president of Sudan is, or where and when he traveled, or why. But where is this all going? How can double standards like on Ladsous be reported, given this? Watch this site.

   

From UN, Trayvon's Death in Sanford Echoes Congo and Liberia, King Leopold and Ladsous: Plus Ca Change

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Muse

UNITED NATIONS, July 14 – The Florida town of Sanford, where George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, was founded and named for Henry Shelton Sanford, who lobbied and got the US to recognized Belgian King Leopold II's Congo “Free” State in the 1870s.

Sanford worked on this with the chairman the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Alabama Senator John Tyler Morgan, who wanted freed slaves sent back to Liberia in Africa.

  This was 140 years ago – but Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo still have UN Peacekeeping missions in them, run by France's Herve Ladsous. As Inner City Press exposed, the UN in Liberia was paying workers $8 a day, here.

  After buying 23 acres in Florida and naming them after himself, Sanford headed to Brussels as US minister, and later became Leopold's negotiator on the Congo. 

  Both pretended that the venture was intended, at least eventually, to end the slave trade. But hands were cut off; African soldiers were paid in brass for the decapitated heads they carried back from battles.

  Not to put too fine a point on it, but in 2013 a UN Intervention Brigade is being deployed in Eastern Congo, ultimately run by Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to head the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

  Leopold held so-called anti-slavery conferences (some might think of some ironic UN conferences); Sanford paid journalists to spread propaganda about the “humanitarian king.”

At the UN in 2013, running “peacekeeping” missions in Liberia and the DRC, the latter with an all-African Intervention Brigade, Ladsous refuses to answer critical Press questions, running into to friendly scribes to, well, tell his stories.

  Ban Ki-moon, who issued a statement about the recent crash in San Francisco of a South Korean airline's jet, has yet to speak on the Trayvon Martin non guilty verdict in the UN's host country. 

  Ban is at the colonial Bastille Day parade on the Champs d'Elysees in Paris with Ladsous, who runs missions in Liberia and the DR Congo. Plus ca change. This ends Inner City Press' Sunday history musing. Watch this site.