UN Exhibit-Gate Gets Russian Spin, U.S. Domination Questioned, Abkhazia With(out) Georgia

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News/Muse

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 -- Two weeks after Russia and Georgia exchanged volleys of dueling photo exhibitions in the UN basement hallway, Russian spokeswoman Maria V. Zakharova gave Inner City Press a lengthy explanation, and a challenge.

            "Why does the UN, which is attacked mostly by the U.S. and the U.S. press, give all the exhibition contracts to American companies?" Ms. Zakharova asked. "That should be your question, not how we got the lobby for our Sochi exhibition." Last week Inner City Press wrote a short item about the event promoting the Russian city of Sochi's bid to get a winter Olympics.

   "I have read your story," Ms. Zakharova said. "You are asking absolutely right questions. Unfortunately, when these questions are asked it is bad not for those who crush the rules, but for those who support the rules."

            Ms. Zakharova referred to the exhibition about Russian peacekeepers, which immediately followed an openly anti-Russian exhibition about Abkhazia, Georgia. Inner City Press wrote about that exhibition too, contrasting it to the postponed Rwanda genocide commemoration; at the time, Inner City Press was told that the difference was that exhibitions in the basement are not reviewed by the UN's Exhibition Committee.

   Ms. Zakharova on Wednesday said that's not true, the exhibitions are reviewed, by the submission of the "portfolio" of the exhibition, a compact disk of photographs, "six or two months before the exhibition." She said these are submitted to a UN staffer named Nagy Nasr. "Any mission can do it," she said, using Nepal as an example.  Whether Nepal is ready to bid on a Winter Olympics is doubtful.

            To her credit, Ms. Zakharova took twenty minutes answering Inner City Press' questions, clearly on the record, next to the Security Council stakeout where Inner City Press had just interviewed Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin about Kosovo on-camera. Amb. Churkin had previously told Inner City Press, in exactly the same spot, that Russia had notice the Georgia exhibition, that is was "bad propaganda," but that Russia had decided not to "shake the tree" and object.

            On the other hand the mission of Georgia, according to Ms. Zakhorova, had raised concerns about the following exhibition of Russian peacekeepers, specifically that it used the word "Abkhazia" without following it immediately with "Georgia."

            "We showed them that the first use included Georgia," Ms. Zakharova said. "After that we don't say it every time. It is like 'Washington, U.S.A.' -- next time, you just say 'Washington.'"

Maria Zakharova at the stakeout, behind Amb. Churkin

            Ms. Zakharova spoke of the politicization of other exhibitions. She said that Russia surely would have wanted to review, and probably would have opposed, exhibitions about Chechnya. More recently, she said, Russia had concerns about an exhibition about Hungary, on the sixtieth anniversary of 1956 -- Henry Kissinger came to the UN to celebrate, but took no questions from the press -- in which reference was made to invasion by "Russian soldiers."

            "That is not correct," Ms. Zakharova complained. "At that time, there were only Soviet soldiers, Soviet army, which included Georgia soldiers, Jewish soldiers, Armenian soldiers, even Estonian soldiers."

            Inner City Press asked, "Did you get the exhibit changed?"

            No, Ms. Zakharova answered. Then she asked, "Why you are so interested? You want to ruin all the exhibitions here?" No, there should just be rules and transparency.  "There are," Ms. Zakharova insisted, "there are."

   She mentioned that "even Taiwan" had an exhibition by the Vienna Cafe, or more accurately, "an NGO from Taipei."  But that was sponsored by Swaziland. "But they had it," Ms. Zakharova pointed out. As are several of the spokespeople for the Permanent Five members, she is known for her humor, including in multiple locations jokes about (poisoned) sushi -- to her credit, like they say. At the risk of being defensive, Inner City Press was recently accused of being "too pro-Russia," for example for its questions about the U.S. exclusion of the foreign minister of Abkhazia -- oops, Abkhazia, GEORGIA. The purpose of this article is to move consideration of this UN issue forward.

  She described another "difficult" exhibition, sponsored with Ukraine, Belarus and the UN Development Program. (From many people's perspectives, UNDP downplays the true fall-out from Chernobyl, leading to their appointment as a good will ambassador of Maria Sharapova, who was promptly asked about UNDP's North Korea hard currency scandal, of which she said she did not know much.)

            "You are what, American?" Ms. Zakharova demanded. "Because if so what you should ask is why this American company, this lady -- sixty years old, nice looking, blonde hair, rather tall -- is put in charge of all exhibitions and we must pay her. We have our own company, we do not need American company's help. But they make us.  You should ask about that."

            Consider it done. We will have more on these topics.

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On Kosovo, Amb. Churkin Foreshadows a Veto, Scrutiny Somalia Lacked

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 -- After the Soviet Union disintegrated, ethnic Russians fled the newly independent states, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Wednesday, analogizing that to what the remaining Serbs in Kosovo would do if independence were granted.

            Less than five percent of the Serbs who left Kosovo have returned, Amb. Churkin said. In a five minute response to questions from Inner City Press, Churkin focused on what he calls the non-compliance with the Security Council's previous resolution 1244, and the lack of a "normal life" in Kosovo at present. Video here, from Minute 2:49 to 8:15.

            This is not the time, Amb. Churkin said, for the Council to impose a solution, i.e. independence. "The international community should respect itself," he said, and should make sure that its previous resolution is complied with before considering enacting a new resolution.

Some return to Kosovo, per UNMIK

            News analysis: While Kosovo comparisons, when made, are generally to Georgia's flanks Abkhazia and South Ossetia, to Transdniester and even Nagorno-Karabakh and Western Sahara, Amb. Churkin's call to assess and ensure compliance with previous resolutions brought to mind to this report the Council's blithe approach to Somalia. The Council imposed an arms embargo, then scoffed at its own experts reports that all sides were violating the embargo. In December 2006, when Ethiopian troops crossed the border and drove on Mogadishu, the Council did nothing. Even now, when those troops and the UN-supported Transitional Federal Government are shelling civilian neighborhoods and blocking UN humanitarian shipments, the Council does nothing.

            Kosovo, however, is in Europe, if not in the EU. In Russia, the Serbs have a veto wielding ally on the Security Council. The U.S. deploys vetoes for Israel -- why not Russian for the Serbs?  Russia's acceptance of language in the most recent Abkhazia resolution bowing down to the territorial integrity of Georgia was a clue: Russia will demand no less than the support of Serbia's integrity.

            Wednesday Amb. Churkin deployed the word pogrom, as in "the anti-Serb pogroms of 2004." He spoke of Serbs' fear, and of the international presence doing nothing as these pogroms occurred. This is strong language and would seem to foreshadow a veto.

            Another correspondent, slated to leave the UN press corps at the end of the month, told Amb. Churkin, "you do not like using Chapter VII," the section of the UN Charter that lets the Council order that things be done. "Be sure you attribute that right," Amb. Churkin joked. We are: he used the word pogrom. Developing...

Somali Diplomat Denounces UN's Warlord Payments, Blackhawk Down - TFG Connection Confirmed

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, April 27 -- The UN Security Council on Friday heard a closed-door briefing from Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin about his country's continued military presence in Somalia. Afterwards, Inner City Press asked Mr. Mesfin about reports that UN humanitarian aid has been hindered by the Transitional Federal Government, which Ethiopia installed atop the country in December.

            Mr. Mesfin denied that the TFG or "our troops" had created obstacles, and noted that TFG Prime Minister Gedi had "the day before yesterday said that humanitarian aid is welcome."

            In an interview appearing in the Times of London on April 27, Gedi is quoted accusing UN agencies "of corruption; of using private airstrips to ship in contraband, weapons and insurgents; of striking cozy deals with warlords and the ousted Islamic Courts regime and pocketing the proceeds. He said the United Nations' World Food Program and other agencies were upset because they had lost power after effectively governing Somalia during its 15 years of civil war and anarchy. 'They want to operate in this country without any control,' he declared. 'They know they can't do that any more . . . Now there's a Prime Minister who knows them too well.'"

            Inner City Press at Friday's noon briefing asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson for a response:

Inner City Press: In Somalia, the Prime Minister in an interview had said that the UN aid agencies are used to running the country like it’s their own fiefdom and that they’re basically disagreeing with Mr. [John] Holmes in terms of humanitarian access.  So I'm wondering if anyone in the UN system has some response to those statements or what the status is of humanitarian access in Somalia. 

Spokesperson:  Well, according to what I got today, the discussions were good and they were given access.  And the tone was positive on the part of WFP.  

            After some other Inner City Press questions, a statement was handed to Spokesperson:

Spokesperson:  "We can find an answer for you.  And about Somalia, as far as I know, and I see the information I got there, there was a meeting about the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia.  The meeting was positive.  WFP was given the green light to begin deliveries, which was done.  And basically everything is working now between WFP and TFG.  According to OCHA, the UN has some 200 national and international staff in south central Somalia whose sole aim is to assist the people of that country, including in delivering urgently needed life-saving assistance.  So, the UN humanitarian agencies, which are non-political, do not aspire to enjoy power in Somalia or elsewhere, as was said in an article today."

            Later on Friday, Inner City Press interviewed Idd Beddel Mohamed, the Somali TFG's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, who said:

"The UN agencies used to serve Somalia when there was no government. Now instead of adapting, they still want to dictate terms. The UN hired warlords, paid them in dollars to protect and deliver. The warlords bought more technicals and militias. The UN agencies should not try to address the difference by talking to the media."

            Inner City Press asked him to confirm that the TFG has appointed as Police Chief one of the individuals whom the U.S. was seeking during the incident memorialized in "Blackhawk Down." Yes, he said, it is Col. Aideed (a/k/a Abdi Qaybdiid).

            The worm, as they say, has turned...

Idd Beddel Mohamed at the UN

           While the UN had earlier on Friday announced the re-appointment of Francois Lonseny Fall for another year as the UN's envoy to Somalia, Idd Beddel Mohamed said he hadn't been aware, and said: "Why isn't he in Mogadishu? Let him enjoy Nairobi, and even the beaches of Mombassa." Inner City Press asked whether minorities like the Mushinguli were included in the TFG as required by the "4.5" plan previously alluded to by Lonseny Fall. "They have the ministry of sports!" Idd Beddel Mohamed exclaimed.

 [Under "4.5," each of Somalia's four main clans are supposed to get slightly less than 25% of the posts, with 1/9th for other minorities, such as the ultimate underdogs, the Mushinguli, brought to Somalia from further South in Africa, and long denied their rights, a topic to which we will return.]

   Idd Beddel Mohamed chided Inner City Press for asking Under Secretary General John Holmes about quotes from the TFG President and deputy defense minister, saying that the quotes are just "internet propaganda." When Inner City Press pointed out that the source was Voice of America, Idd Beddel Mohamed replied that Voice of America's "affiliate in Mogadishu is owned by a supporter of these insurgents."

            Before he left the UN, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin pronounced that "the backbone of the terrorists has been completely shattered"  but that a different message gets out, because they have "a wide network globally."

            Who are you going to believe? For now, the UN and Security Council appear to continue to cast their lot with the TFG, despite warnings. Or is the European Commission's warning about war crimes and complicity just "internet propaganda"? We will continue to cover this.

UN's Holmes "Condemns" Reported Somali TFG Statements, While Withholding Documents

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, April 24 -- The Somali Transitional Federal Government, which relies for its legitimacy on the UN, yesterday told the UN that aid workers will have "unimpeded access" to serve those people fleeing the TFG's shelling of Mogadishu.

            In New York, Inner City Press asked UN humanitarian chief John Holmes what the UN's response has been to two sample statements, by TFG president Yusuf that civilian neighborhoods can be shelled, and by TFG defense official Salad Ali Jeele, that certain clans and sub-clans in Mogadishu need to be exterminated (click here for that).

            Mr. Holmes responded that "the statements you've quoted, I would condemn them utterly." Video here, from minute 35:13.

            Inner City Press asked about the letter which it obtained and reported on April 20 in which TFG Minister for Interior Mohamed Mohamoud Guled wrote to the UN World Food Program that

"It's TFG decision that there will be no food distribution can take place anywhere in Somalia without being inspected and approved by the government. Hence UN agencies and any other organization that is planning to bring any relief to Somalia should submit the documents for the goods before shipment for checkup."

            This letter from the Transitional Federal Government to the WFP was cc-ed to the Somali National Refugee Commission, through which Inner City Press is told the TFG had been saying all aid must flow. Asked about this on Tuesday, Mr. Holmes said, "I have no information on that particular organization." That might be a problem.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Yusuf

            Prior to Mr. Holmes' briefing, WFP told Inner City Press the following:

Subject: Somalia

From: [WFP Spokesperson]

To: Matthew Russell Lee

Sent: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 6:09 PM

Hi Matthew,  there were talks between the UN and TFG today. Here's a short update, from Peter Goossens, WFP Country director Somalia:

"The talk between the UN and a TFG commission led by the Heath Minister were positive. The TFG will issue a statement on the outcome. We hope that we will from now on be allowed to use any airstrip in Somalia to bring in humanitarian assistance. We also need to see on the ground that we are now allowed to bring that assistance urgently to those most in need, particularly those displaced by the fighting in Mogadishu."

            Tuesday Mr. Holmes said essentially the same thing. However, when asked if any documents could be provided -- the letter from UN Humanitarian Coordinator Eric Laroche, or the above-referenced TFG statement -- Mr. Holmes said only that "I'll look into that, if we can provide you chapter and verse." Ten hours later, no documents had been provided. It's not "chapter and verse" -- it's basic documents about what Mr. Holmes is calling the world's most dangerous for aid workers. Silence doesn't help; silence is consent. Developing...

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