UN Unaware of Saleh Siege in Yemen, No Arab League in Syria, Strike in South Sudan, Stonewall in Cote d'Ivoire

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 14 -- Perhaps the UN or its Spokesperson's Office go to sleep in August. 

  On Tuesday Inner City Press asked about an attack on the Defense Ministry in Yemen by supporters of dictator Ali Saleh. 

  The Deputy Spokesman replied, "I see nothing about that, we’ll have to look into it and get back to you on it."

 But five hours later, there was nothing. Nor had Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson's Office responded to question referred back to them by the President of the General Assembly's office about Inner City Press' exclusive on Yemen's UN dues check bouncing. Ah, the Arab Spring.

  Where this Spring stalled out, Syria, was the subject of another unanswered question. Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: there’s some discussion that, as was true under Kofi Annan, Syria will only recognize whomever the person is, whether Mr. Brahimi or some other individual, as the UN’s special representative, not as the Arab League’s representative, and I wanted to know, is that acceptable? And they’ve said that publicly, that they see this role as UN, not Arab League –--is that acceptable to the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, to the best of my knowledge, the Secretary-General is in close consultations with the League of Arab States’ Secretary-General, and it will be a joint decision.

Inner City Press: On whom to appoint. But I’m saying, if Syria says openly that they’re only accepting him as a UN person…

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I haven’t seen that report, Matthew.

Well, here it is, at least to see. Five hours later, nothing; no announcement of Brahimi as some said Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi had confirmed, nothing.

And so Tuesday's noon briefing ended with two more unanswered questions:

Inner City Press: the UN’s own staff in South Sudan is protesting in 10 different states, saying that they would like to be paid, not necessarily the same rate but in the same currency as international staff are…And they seem – it’s a peaceful protest, but it’s a pretty extensive one. I’m wondering what the UN’s response is to it?

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I’ll have to look into that, Matthew. We’ll have to check and see what the regulations are and we’ll have to see what the policy is. I don’t have any information on that. OK, last question?

Correspondent: No, I don’t have any other thing. Thanks.

Deputy Spokesperson: Ah, OK. OK, last question, Matthew.

Inner City Press: I just wanted to make clear what I was asking you about in terms of Côte d’Ivoire. You sent me a response yesterday; I was glad to get it, but it was about the wrong report. There was an incident about three weeks ago -

Deputy Spokesperson: No, no – I know which one you mean. That report has not been finalized. It’s in the process of being worked on, and as I said, or as I’m saying now, once we have something to share, we’ll share it.

Inner City Press: Because Mr. [Bert] Koenders, right after the event took place, has said, “that we reject all the allegations, we did the right thing”. And I’m just wondering: is that statement somehow on hold, pending the report?

Deputy Spokesperson: We’re not going to prejudge what the report says; let’s see what the report says and then we’ll see what we comment on that. OK?

Not really. But hey - it's mid August.

Footnote: perhaps these questions will be answered on August 15, on the August day's delay, as was Inner City Press' Monday story and question about Ibrahim Gambari being replaced in Darfur. Del Buey confirmed it Tuesday at noon. Watch this site.

Yemen Banned from UN Vote on Syria by Bounced Check, Published Here

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- Yemen's inability to vote on the August 3 Syria resolution in the UN General Assembly was first exposed by Inner City Press in an exclusive story published on August 7. 

  Now Yemen's Permanent Representative to the UN, and his foreign minister Abubaker al-Qirbi, have responded, here.  They blame the non-payment on US banks closing some countries' accounts, an issue on which Inner City Press has also exclusively reported.

  But well placed sources disagree that this is the reason, and provide evidence. Now for, Inner City Press publishes below the Bank of America check that bounced.

  The account on which the check was written has been functioning since June 15; the check bounced due to large withdrawals.

  After Yemen's Mission to the United Nations wrote a $223,675 check to the UN for its 2012 dues on June 20, its Ali Saleh-aligned Permanent Representative Jamal Abdullah al-Sallal took out a cashier's check on the Mission's Bank of America account, Arab diplomatic sources have exclusively told Inner City Press.

  The impact was that during the August 3 UN General Assembly vote to condemn Syria's Bashar al Assad, the move of this Ali Saleh supporter made it so that Yemen could not vote, despite being a co-sponsor of the resolution.

  While some media mocked Yemen for sponsoring and not voting, Inner City Press reported even that day that Yemen was barred from voting by the UN's pay-to-vote rules. But afterward Inner City Press learned the reason for the failure to pay.

   A self-described Arab diplomat told Inner City Press of

"the cheap game played by the Permanent Representative and his Foreign Minister who still follow the overthrown dictator, he withdrew the whole account after issuing a check so the UN check will bounce so Yemen can't vote."

  The Yemeni mission's Bank of America Operating Account, ACT R/T 054001204, delivered its $223,675.00 check to the UN's Contribution and Policy Coordination Service on the 28th floor of the UN-rented building at 380 Madison Avenue.

  Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky about Yemen and the bounced check and inability to vote on August 8, the day after its exclusive story, and Nesirky said he would inquire, so far without response.

  Here now is a copy of the check:

  Even more documents have been obtained - this may become a series. Watch this site.