In Arab League Run-Up, Kerry's Pitch on ISIL; Syria Coalition Wants Seat, UNRWA Seeks Funds

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 6 -- Starting from thebeheading of US journalist James Foley, the Syrian Coalition has pushed harder to equate Assad and the Islamic State, and to present themselves, based in Turkey, as a key to fighting ISIL. Their pitch on the Arab League meeting is below.

 But first, this read-out from a Senior US State Department official, of Secretary of State Kerry's call with Nabil al-Arabi:

"Secretary Kerry spoke with the Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Elaraby today to discuss developments in the region and to provide an update on efforts to combat ISIL in advance of the Arab League meetings which start tomorrow.  They discussed the need for the Arab League and its members to take a strong position in the coalition that is developing against ISIL and the importance of decisive action to stop the flow of foreign fighters, counter ISIL's financing, and combat its incitement.

"The Secretary emphasized that the military aspect is only one part of this effort and that to degrade and destroy the threat posed by ISIL will require a holistic approach that will take time, persistence and require coordination with our Arab partners at the international, regional, and local level – combining military, law enforcement, intelligence, economic, and diplomatic tools. Both leaders also recognized that Iraq is on the front line in the war against ISIL and that Iraq, the United States, the region, and the international community must stand together to assist Iraq in facing this threat."

  Earlier on September 6 the Syrian Coalition issued a statement that:

"Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, calls on the Arab League to go beyond political recognition of the Syrian Coalition and grant it full legal recognition as the representative of the Syrian people during a meeting held today with Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi. 

 "Al Arabi invited the Syrian Coalition to occupy Syria’s seat in the Arab League tomorrow and speak on behalf of the Syrian people. 'Fighting terrorism cannot be done piecemeal, therefore the Arab League’s resolution must include putting an end to the terror practiced by the Assad regime against the Syrian people,' Al Hariri said commenting on the Arab League’s intention to pass a resolution to confront terrorism during the upcoming ministerial meeting."

  There were other statements aimed in advance at this Arab League ministerial meeting, including about Gaza, from UNRWA:

"In a speech to be delivered tomorrow (Sunday), to Arab League Foreign Ministers in Cairo, UNRWA’s Commissioner General, Pierre Krahenbuhl, will ask for 47 million dollars for 4 weeks emergency work in Gaza.

"In his first major policy address since the ceasefire, Krahenbuhl will tell the ministers that 'there is a crying need for financial support now, today. Longer term reconstruction must be addressed but will depend on the outcome of negotiations on access for building materials. My main message to you today is please do not wait for weeks before providing support.'

"In a message to Arab League Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi he will say 'UNRWA can only carry out these tasks if it has the funds to do so. We depend almost entirely on voluntary contributions. Secretary General, you kindly co-chaired a meeting with Mr Ban Ki-Moon in New York a year ago which generated a renewal of the commitment of Arab governments to aim at providing 7.8 % of UNRWA’s programme budget. I have to say that performance at 4% still falls well short of this target. I urge your members to give more generously to allow UNRWA to continue its vital work.'"

   We'll see how much support for UNRWA comes out of the Arab League -- and how much support for the "coalition" against ISIL.

Footnote: Agence France Presse, purporting an info-graphic of journalists killed last year, listed four as killed "in Gaza." Since all other listed jurisdiction are full UN member states, some surmised AFP's nomenclature let off the hook the killer of those journalists. Despite calling it social media, 17 days later AFP has not responded.

   

In Arab League Run-Up, Syria Coalition Wants Seat, UNRWA Wants Support

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 6 -- Starting from the beheading of US journalist James Foley, the Syrian Coalition has pushed harder to equate Assad and the Islamic State, and to present themselves, based in Turkey, as a key to fighting ISIL.

  On September 6 the Syrian Coalition issued a statement that:

"Nasr al-Hariri, Secretary General of the Syrian Coalition, calls on the Arab League to go beyond political recognition of the Syrian Coalition and grant it full legal recognition as the representative of the Syrian people during a meeting held today with Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi. 

 "Al Arabi invited the Syrian Coalition to occupy Syria’s seat in the Arab League tomorrow and speak on behalf of the Syrian people. 'Fighting terrorism cannot be done piecemeal, therefore the Arab League’s resolution must include putting an end to the terror practiced by the Assad regime against the Syrian people,' Al Hariri said commenting on the Arab League’s intention to pass a resolution to confront terrorism during the upcoming ministerial meeting."

  There were other statements aimed in advance at this Arab League ministerial meeting, including about Gaza, from UNRWA:

"In a speech to be delivered tomorrow (Sunday), to Arab League Foreign Ministers in Cairo, UNRWA’s Commissioner General, Pierre Krahenbuhl, will ask for 47 million dollars for 4 weeks emergency work in Gaza.

"In his first major policy address since the ceasefire, Krahenbuhl will tell the ministers that 'there is a crying need for financial support now, today. Longer term reconstruction must be addressed but will depend on the outcome of negotiations on access for building materials. My main message to you today is please do not wait for weeks before providing support.'

"In a message to Arab League Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi he will say 'UNRWA can only carry out these tasks if it has the funds to do so. We depend almost entirely on voluntary contributions. Secretary General, you kindly co-chaired a meeting with Mr Ban Ki-Moon in New York a year ago which generated a renewal of the commitment of Arab governments to aim at providing 7.8 % of UNRWA’s programme budget. I have to say that performance at 4% still falls well short of this target. I urge your members to give more generously to allow UNRWA to continue its vital work.'

"The UNRWA chief will outline the Agency’s plans to open all its school institutions in Gaza in 7 days time:

'In exactly one week from today the schools will reopen, a remarkable achievement so soon after the end of the conflict. We aim to open 252 schools in over 130  school buildings educating nearly a quarter of a million children, many of them deeply traumatized, but who will be happy to see their friends after the war. I wish I could take you all there so you could see for yourselves both the laughter and the tears. I am sure you all agree that nothing is more important than the education of the next generation and of nowhere is that more true than in Gaza today.'"

   We'll see how much support for UNRWA comes out of the Arab League -- and how much support for the "coalition" against ISIL.

Footnote: Agence France Presse, purporting an info-graphic of journalists killed last year, listed four as killed "in Gaza." Since all other listed jurisdiction are full UN member states, some surmised AFP's nomenclature let off the hook the killer of those journalists. Despite calling it social media, 17 days later AFP has not responded.

   

As Qatar Hosted Syrian Coalition at UN, Anti-Jarba Protests, Scribes

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- While Qatar sponsored anevent at the UN in New York on March 21 featuring the Syrian Coalition headed by Ahmad al Jarba, a group calling its the Syrian Grassroots Movement held protests seeking to oust Jarba.

   By March 22, the group stated that some 40,000 people in 58 cities inside Syria had participated in demonstrations to get Jarba out of his post, saying "it is time to put an end to political corruption."

  Back in September 2013, France sponsored an event in the UN and called Jarba the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. French Ambassador Gerard Araud was the first questioning at Qatar's March 21 Syrian Coalition event. What is France's position now? Who chooses the leaders?

  Likewise, back in July 2013 and earlier this month, the Jarba-led Syrian Coalition held faux "UN" events in the clubhouse Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat gives to the largely Gulf and Western UN Correspondents Association. How does that now appear, in light of the anti-Jarba protests?

   Qatar's March 21 event was not listed in the UN Journal nor in the UN Media Alert. It was not on the UN's publicly available webcast.

  Select media outlets were there, when Inner City Press came in at the end to ask a question: Al Jazeera on the podium in Qatar's event, Al Arabiya like a Saudi diplomat -- not the Permanent Representative -- in the audience along with Al Hayat, even Al Hurra, on whose Broadcasting Board of Governors US Secretary of State John Kerry serves.

   The new Free UN Coalition for Access is against faux UN events, in the clubhouse the Secretariat gives to what's become its UN Censorship Alliance or elsewhere.

   On March 21 Inner City Press put these questions, also on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, to the UN's top two spokespeople:

"there is an event in Conference Room 4 right now, sponsored by Qatar, which is no listed in today's UN Journal, nor is it on UN Webcast http://webtv.un.org/ but it appears to be being filmed. Please explain the legal status of this meeting, if there are any sponsored beyond Qatar, how it was publicized and if any request to have it webcast was made. Thanks, on deadline."

  But no answer was provided. Inner City Press ran to the event and from the back of a three quarters empty Conference Room 4 asked why the event was so stealth: not in the UN Journal, not webcast.

  The Permanent Representative of Qatar answered, saying it was a "special event" to which Qatar had invited (some) member states and groups, and (some) media. There is a UN Media Alert, but this event was not put in it.

  Perhaps it was publicized by the Gulf & Western United Nations Correspondents Association, which has twice hosted faux "UN" events by the Syrian National Coalition or Syrian Coalition. (In both cases, the Free UN Coalition for Access suggested that the SNC hold its events in the UN briefing room, accessible to all journalists.)

  Since French Ambassador Gerard Araud, the first questioner flanked by representatives of Saudi Arabia and of Turkey which earlier in the day banned Twitter, has spoken about "fakes" and others about accountability, Inner City Press asked if the groups Al Nusra and ISIS, and those who fund them such as private individuals in Qatar alluded to at the US State Department briefing earlier in the day, could or would be held accountable.

  The SNC representative emphasized what he called links between the Assad regime and ISIS, saying it was too easy to blame the Gulf countries.

Here's from the March 21 US State Department briefing transcript:

Question: you have concerns about the withdrawal of the ambassadors. Do you also have concerns about the reasons that these countries said that they withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar? In other words, do you – if you have concerns about the withdrawal of the ambassadors, do you also have concerns about Qatar’s behavior, which – alleged behavior, let’s say – which led to these countries withdrawing their ambassadors?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I know one of the issues that has been mentioned is the issue of private donations to extremists – and that’s something that some have mentioned – operating in Syria and elsewhere. It remains an important priority in our high-level discussions, and one that we also certainly raise with all states in the region, including Qatar, including the Government of Kuwait, wherever we have concerns.

After Inner City Press asked about the sponsorship of the event, a one-page "Joint Statement by the Co-Organizers" was passed out, listing among the co-organizers France, the UK, US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Inner City Press tweeted it. 

   Even 24 hours later, the UN's top two spokespeople had not answered the simple questions put to them, above. Watch this site.

   

Syria Coalition Returns Through UN's Backdoor, UN Told Inner City Press, "Ask UNCA"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 23 -- What is the backdoor through which the Syria rebels try to get into the United Nations? 

  It's through the Executive Committee of the United Nations Correspondents Association. In July 2013 they got in, though after questions in September they sent to a hotel. Today they entered again through UNCA. What changed?

  As noted, UNCA's Executive Committee, described by some in the UN as heavy with "Gulf and Western media" such as Reuters, CBS, Al Arabiya and Agence France Presse, previously sponsored Jarba in July, and called it a "UN briefing." 

  Now, after questions and taking their show on the road to a hotel during the General Debate, on March 14 the "UNCA Office" under President Pamela Falk announced 

UNCA will hold a press conference with the Syrian Opposition's Chief Negotiator in Geneva Mr. Hadi Al Bahra, TODAY, Friday, March 14th at 1:00pm in the UNCA Meeting Room S-310.

Please see Mr. Al Bahra's bio below: Hadi Al Bahra: Mr. Hadi al Bahra is the Syrian opposition's Chief Negotiator in Geneva, Secretary of the Political Committee of the National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces' (Etilaf), and adviser to Syrian Coalition President Ahmad al-Jarba. Bahra received his bachelor's degree from Wichita State University in Kansas. He has been an active contributor to the opposition's media activity and relief and political work in Syria. He will be in DC March 16-19.

   In an abundance of fairness, Inner City Press now publishes what Al Bahra had sent out about his "UNCA Briefing" --

Press Statement, Hadi al Bahra, Member of Syrian Coalition Political Committee, March 14, 2014

Earlier today, the Syrian Coalition briefed the members of the Security Council, one day before the third anniversary of the start of the Syrian uprising. Later this afternoon, we will be briefing several other countries, including the members of the Delegation of the European Union.

Our delegation has separately met with several other countries, including the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Rwanda and Chad. Later this afternoon, we will be meeting with the US Permanent Representative to the UN, Samantha Power and the Joint Special Representative to Syria.

We have made the following points during our meetings:

Until now, the international community has failed Syria. The Security Council and the broader UN membership have been unable to protect the Syrian people from a brutal dictator.

The Syrian Coalition remains committed to the political process. However negotiations have stalled because the Syrian regime refuses to discuss the core purpose of talks, namely the formation of a Transitional Governing body.

For peace talks to succeed the Security Council must make it clear to the regime that it must comply with the Geneva Communiqué and engage in talks to discuss the formation of a Transitional Governing Body. If they do not, then there must be consequences, including the implementation of coercive measures through the adoption of a Chapter VII resolution.

Free and fair elections cannot be held in Syria in the present violent circumstances. Any attempt to hold elections risks undermining the Geneva talks which remain the only political track to find a solution to Syria’s conflict.

The Syrian Coalition is committed to upholding international humanitarian law and providing urgent humanitarian support, which is why we are working with our allies to swiftly to implement UNSCR 2139 swiftly in the areas we can.

Despite the adoption of UNSCR 2139, the Syrian regime continues to obstruct and violate international law. As a result, the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate and millions of people remain in critical need.

   Back on September 23, 2013 Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's then  spokesperson Martin Nesirky's office to explain whether an event in UN Room S-310 with Jarba could properly be called a UN briefing.

Ban's spokesperson's office under Nesirky replied, "Your question on briefings in Room S-310: please direct your question to UNCA."

But UNCA has yet to explain, for example, documents Inner City Press obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act from Voice of America and others showing that its first vice president, Louis Charbonneau of Reuters, gave UN accreditation official Stephane Dujarric an anti-Press internal UNCA document three minutes after promising not to. Story here, audio here, document here.

  UNCA's 2013-2014 president Pamela Falk of CBS, who sent out the July and September, 2013 Jarba invitations only to those who pay money to UNCA, has not explained the organization's role in, well, spying for the UN. 

 Inner City Press quit UNCA and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access, @FUNCA_info -- and, as the UN works, soon had its accreditation threatened with suspension or withdrawal for merely hanging a FUNCA sign on the door of its shared office, an elevator corridor away from "UN briefing" room S-310.

  Shouldn't the UN answer about the use of a UN room, one story above the Security Council, to host a "UN briefing" by a Saudi-sponsored rebel, the one now dubbed as "Jarbucks" or perhaps better as "JarBUNCA"?

Back on July 26, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: currently, there is a meeting in the North Lawn Building of the Syrian coalition with members of the Security Council. I’ve seen, although it wasn’t sent to me, a notice of a press conference in the UN building by the Syrian Coalition in room 310 of the United Nations, and I wanted you to describe what this press conference is. Is it a UN press conference? Is it only open to individuals who have paid money in order to attend it? And I saw one of the speakers described as the Special Representative of the Syrian Coalition to the United Nations, and I wanted to know, is there such a thing? Is there official representation to the United Nations by the Syrian opposition and on what basis does the UN give a large room to the UN Correspondents Association for meetings of this type, which they only promote to members that pay them money?

Deputy Spokesperson Del Buey: Well, I’ll have to check on that, Matthew. I don’t have the information with me, but we’ll check on that and get back to you.

Inner City Press: Okay, I’d really like an answer soon, before the meeting takes place would be ideal.

Deputy Spokesperson Del Buey: Well, we’re going to try.

Now under new UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, demonstrably close with the UNCA "leaders," basic questions about the spending of UN money have done unanswered for his entire first week. The SNC is back in the room the UN gives to its Censorship Alliance. Where is this headed? Watch this site.