By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 19, more
here --
After the most
recent Gaza ceasefire
ended, in
front of the
UN Security
Council Jordan's
new Permanent
Representative
said there are
still talks on
a draft
resolution --
if it would be
"useful" --
and UN
Secretary
General issued
this statement:
"The
Secretary-General
condemns in
the strongest
terms the
breach of the
Egyptian
brokered
humanitarian
ceasefire
which was to
expire at
midnight local
time. He is
gravely
disappointed
by the return
to
hostilities.
"The
Secretary-General
reminds both
sides of their
responsibility
not to let the
situation
escalate. The
hopes of the
people in Gaza
for a better
future and the
hopes of the
people in
Israel for
sustainable
security rest
on the talks
in Cairo. The
Secretary-General
calls on the
delegations to
live up to
this
expectation
and urges the
parties to
reach an
immediate
understanding
on a durable
ceasefire
which also
addresses the
underlying
issues
afflicting
Gaza."
An "immediate
understanding"?
On August 18,
after
seven-year UN
envoy Robert
Serry briefed
the UN
Security
Council, Inner
City Press
asked him if
he is leaving
his position
in October. Video here.
Serry shook
his head, said
it is between
him and Ban
Ki-moon.
Inner City
Press asked
about Ban's
stated
five-year rule
for staying in
a UN post.
Serry replied
if that were a
rule, he would
be in
violation. So
it is not a
rule. But
still:
October,
contract
expiring?
On the
destroyed and
damaged UNRWA
schools, Inner
City Press
asked Serry if
there will be
a UN Board of
Inquiry as in
2009. Serry
said that too
will be up to
Ban.
In the UN
General
Assembly
meeting about
Gaza on August
6, Ban said
"attacks
against UN
premises,
along with
other
suspected
breaches of
international
law, must be
swiftly
investigated."
So in the 12
days between
the two
statements,
has anything
been done? In
2009, Ban was
lobbied about
his
cover-letter
to the
previous board
of inquiry
report by Ian
Martin; now in
2014, as it
made up for
it, he
accepted free
private jet
travel from
Qatar, with
its stake and
position in
the conflict.
Neither is
acceptable.
On
the latter,
Israel's
Ambassador Ron
Prosor came
out of the
Council after
Serry's public
briefing and
said, among
other things,
that Qatar has
bought
campuses of
six
universities,
Harrod's and
the PSG
football club.
He cited the
2022 World
Cup, but did
not mention
Ban accepting
the
Qatar-funded
private jet.
He passed out
a flier,
"Captured
Hamas Combat
Manuel," which
Inner City
Press put
online here.
Back
on August 6 at
the UN noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq if
Ban would at
least set up a
Board of
Inquiry as was
done in 2009.
(Inner City
Press first
published the
cover-letter,
here.)
Haq wouldn't
say if a Board
of Inquiry
would be set
up; he called
the decision
an internal
one. Video
here and
embedded
below. But
Wikileaks
released documents
showing that
Ban allowed
himself to be
lobbied about
the 2009 Board
of Inquiry
report by Ian
Martin,
including on
what should go
in "his" cover
letter. See
here. And
this time?
Update:
UN staff have
written to
Ban, the GA
President and
this month's
Security
Council
president,
Mark Lyall
Grant of the
UK, asking for
accountability.
The letter is here.
We hope to
have more on
this.
, 
