In Haiti, UN Force Commander Silent on Killings, Clinton Skips Press, Contracts

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un2hnp021810.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 18 -- In Haiti, the UN's Force Commander Major General Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto, has been aware of "incidents" in which the Haitian National Police have killed civilians. Inner City Press asked him about it on Thursday. Video here, from Minute 13:56.

He said, "those were crucial and critical moments, the HNP needed to use that kind of force." Video here, from Minute 15:56.

It is reported that President Rene Preval, his prime and other minister met in January and authorized the summary execution of "criminals." The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, which has a stated and implicit duty to protect civilians, has confirmed it has been aware of killings.

Inner City Press asked the Major General what his troops do about this. "I do not command the police," he said. "I do not speak on this."

This seems to be a major problem. Even those the UN peacekeepers are changed, according to the force commander, with security and not criminal justice, if they witnessed one civilians killing another they would act. But if Haitian National Police kill someone, even as a summary execution, the UN says and does nothing?

Later on Thursday, Bill Clinton was scheduled to join a press stakeout with Ban Ki-moon, John Holmes and Haiti's Ambassador. But Clinton was delayed, due in part to an anthrax scare at the UN -- click here for Inner City Press' first and second stories -- so he skipped the stake out. Mr. Ban took only one question before leaving.

Inner City Press asked Haiti's Ambassador about a meeting between President Rene Preval and US contractor Ashbritt, to gain rubble removal contracts. He replied no contract has yet be let, and whoever wins must create jobs. Afterward, he thanked Inner City Press for not asking about the HNP's alleged executions.

John Holmes dodged questions, first about his leaked email about Haiti, then about restrictions on UN aid in Somalia being imposed by the US. We'll have more on this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2hnp021810.html

Killings by Haitian National Police Ascribed to Imposters by UN, No Anti-Corruption Role, UN's Pro-Government Focus

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1hnp021110.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 11 -- The UN says it is investigating reports of summary executions by the Haitian National Police. Video here, from Minute 57:52.

Inner City Press for the second time in ten days asked acting UN chief in Haiti Edmond Mulet about the killing of alleged thieves, this time citing Haitian religious leader Max Beauvoir's account of a January 16 meeting of President Rene Preval, the Prime Minister and police chief at which "we decided we had to deal with them in an emergency way... capital punishment, automatically, for all bandits."

Mulet stammered that "we are aware of some incidents of shooting [by] private security guards... perhaps Haitian National Police members involved." But even this, he tried to convert into imposters, who stole the HNP uniforms.

On February 1, when Inner City Press asked, Mulet said that the UN Mission MINUSTAH was "investigating" such claims. Ten days later, there are no "conclusions," he said.

Top UN peacekeeper Alain Le Roy began the February 11 presentation by praising Mulet for maintaining such good relations with the Haitian government.

How can Mulet credibly investigate and speak out against Haitian National Police killings, which Max Beauvoir said were decided on at a meeting including Rene Preval and the Prime Minister, if he is also tasked with "getting along well" with these officials?

The UN has at least two conflicting goals: to get along with the government, and to ensure that at least basic human rights are being respected. Right now the UN in Haiti appears to be paying only lip service to the second, human rights goal.

The UN need to be (made to be) much more clear about its role in Haiti. The UN has some hard working international and national civil servants in Haiti, but only if the UN admits what it cannot or will not meaningfully do will the need for others to do it become clear. Lack of clarify ill-serves the Haitian people.

Inner City Press also asked about another ostensible UN role: to try to minimize corruption, so that needed donations will be made. Inner City Press asked about documented meetings with President Preval by a Florida-based business, AshBritt, which is under fire for how it got Hurricane Katrina contracts -- with Haley Barbour as a lobbyist -- and how it performed under other contracts.

Of the meeting in which AshBritt pitched for major contracts in Haiti, Mulet said "we have nothing to do with that." Video here, from Minute 58:49. So much for an anti-corruption monitoring role for the UN. But if the UN is not going to do it, who is? Watch this site.

Footnote: Mulet also said he had no information about Haitian land owners seeking payment, now or in the future, for land used for housing, temporary and later permanent. Since aid funds are involved in this re-housing process, and the question was squarely raised to Mulet's deputy Kim Bolduc on February 8, it seemed strange that Mulet had no information three days later. We will continue to pursue this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1hnp021110.html