IMF
Won't
Substantiate
"Arab Spring"
Spending,
Downplays
Military
Spending
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 9 --
While the
International
Monetary Fund
bragged about
committing $35
billion to the
"Arab Spring,"
now it has
been questioned
by area
finance
ministry
officials
and, although
the IMF dodged
the question,
by the Press
how many much
has been
disbursed.
Every
two weeks the
IMF holds a
press
briefing, for
journalists in
DC and online
around the
world.
Spokesman
Gerry Rice at
the February 9
briefing
purported to
take online
questions, one
from a
reporter
usually there
in person, and
one each about
Argentina and
the Dominican
Republic.
But
the IMF
ignored, and
did not answer
by deadline,
questions
about its Arab
Spring pledge,
about Yemen
and Myanmar,
Sri Lanka and
Romania. Nor
did the IMF
explain its
logic. It took
question after
question about
Greece, and
one about
Bosnia not
having a 2011
budget.
Nothing on
Ireland,
either.
Inner
City Press, as
soon as the
briefing
began, asked
three, four
then five
questions,
including:
How
much
of the $35
billion "Arab
Spring" pledge
has the IMF
disbursed,
given this
criticism?
What
is
the status of
the IMF's work
in & with
Yemen after
the visit of
Hassan
Al-Atrash?
What
is
the status of
the IMF's work
in & with
Myanmar, and
what impact
will the US
lifting
Trafficking
Victims
Protection Act
restrictions
have on it?
On
Sri
Lanka, since
IMF Brian
Aitken has
publicly
claimed
defense
spending is
down, what
is IMF's
response to
statistics
submitted [to
IMF] that
defense
spending is up
at least 30%,
contrary to
IMF?
Lagarde, with
Gerry Rice
pointing,
answers not
shown
This
question,
Inner City
Press submitted
on February 6
as well,
to Mr. Rice
and others:
Hello
-
this is a
Press request
for the IMF's
comment or
response its
claim that Sri
Lanka's
defense
spending has
decreased,
when other say
it has
INCREASED 30%,
despite IMF
statements
that
“This,
together with
savings on
military
spending ...
should help
finance the
considerable
reconstruction
spending
needs.” And
“Cuts in
military and
other
expenditures
will help make
room for
post-conflict
reconstruction
and relief
spending."
For
ease of
reference, I
refer to
correspondence
to Ms. Lagarde
and from the
IMF's Mr.
Aitken
(particularly
the response
to Mr.
Aitken's
January 4
letter and subsequent
data table),
and to the Sri
Lanka
questions I
have
submitted,
without
response,
during the
last two
online media
briefings.
And
if / when you
have something
on the
resignation of
the prime
minister in
Romania.
With
no answer,
either on Sri
Lanka or even
Romania, Inner
City Press
resubmitted on
February 9,
including
On
Romania,
any IMF
response to
parliament
approving new
cabinet and to
keep budget
deficit within
3% of GDP?
There
are directly
in the IMF's
wheelhouse,
but even more
under
Christine
Lagarde, the
IMF does not
want to take
or answer the
questions. So
this IMF brags
about Arab
Spring
spending but
won't answer,
misrepresents
increased
military
spending it is
now partially
responsible
for, and
refuses to
answer. Here
is Mr.
Aitken's
letter,
that the IMF
has refused to
explain or
substantiate.
Watch this
site.
, 
