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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

UN GATE, Jan 9 – On Iraq, yet another country in which the UN system of Antonio Guterres is corrupt (see below UNESCO exclusive from Inner City Press which Guterres bans from the UN now for the 549th day), Guterres on November 28 had a canned statement through equally corrupt Stephane Dujarric: "The Secretary-General urges all actors  to refrain from violence and to engage in peaceful and meaningful dialogue for the benefit of Iraq and the Iraqi people."

 On January 9, this was the "Statement of H.E. Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran (to be delivered, on his behalf, by H.E. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations) Before the United Nations Security Council On “Upholding the United Nations Charter to Maintain International Peace and Security” New York, 9 January 2020 *   In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful   Mr. President, I am here today to deliver a statement on behalf of H.E. Minister Zarif whose visa was denied by the U.S. in contravention of the Headquarters Agreement. “We are meeting today to discuss a momentous imperative we are all confronted with. The world is at a crossroads: with the end of monopolies on power, one unhinged regime is frantically clamoring to turn back time. This has meant more damaging American unilateralism in defiance of international norms and law: most recently a dastardly targeted assassination of the heroes who were the nightmare of groups such as ISIS. But since the regime’s inauguration, more and more threats and attacks against the people of Iran and other sovereign nations in utter disregard of the Charter. It now even seeks to emulate the war crimes of DAESH, menacing the cultural heritage of the millennia-old civilization of Iran. Our January 8th action against an air base in Iraq from which the cowardly armed attack against Martyr Soleimani was launched, was a measured and proportionate response to a terrorist attack, in the exercise of our inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter. This rogue US regime has withdrawn from several landmark accords, including the Paris Agreement, the INF Treaty, and not least, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. That, in an open affront to this very Council, has involved unprecedented and unlawful US punishment of anyone who attempts to comply with Resolution 2231, which unequivocally endorses the JCPOA. It has also adopted mob tactics to expand or gain market share in the face of the increasing diversification of the sources of power. In the case of my own country, US economic terrorism has involved the strangulation of access of ordinary Iranians to food and medicine as well as use of illegal unilateral sanctions to give American oil a foothold in Asia. No one is spared from this malign behavior, as evidenced by how the US approaches global trade – including its targeting of European infrastructure to force the entry of its own natural gas. The question amidst this rogue behavior is how to protect the UN Charter. For if other states become “passive unilateralists”; if they succumb to unilateralism in their bilateral relationships or compromise Charter principles for the sake of short-term gains or the avoidance of immediate harm, they inadvertently encourage the lawless unilateralist to bully them. To protect multilateralism, we must never appease unilateralist regimes. We need political will as well as an instrument that will safeguard the values, principles and multilateralism enshrined in the Charter. Such an instrument should include - Renewed commitment to the Charter, particularly non-intervention in internal or external affairs and prohibition of the threat or use of force, - Rejection of all coercive unilateral measures including sanctions as unlawful, entailing international responsibility, including financial responsibility to compensate damages imposed on the target and third countries, - Assigning international criminal responsibility for obstructing in any way, shape or form humanitarian trade, - Prohibition on depriving individuals from their liberties and extradition upon judicial requests made on the basis of or related to unilateral coercive measures - including sanctions. Iran is dedicated to multilateralism and committed to the Charter and its principles. Our commitment to the JCPOA as well as our most recent inclusive initiative to promote peace and security in the Persian Gulf region (Hormuz Peace Endeavor, or ‘HOPE’) prove our strategic approach. With the engagement of other littoral States of the Persian Gulf, the objectives of HOPE can be realized. In this endeavor, we welcome the assistance of the United Nations—including by acting as an umbrella.” Thank you for your time."

  On Jan 7, after protests and incursions at and inside the US Embassy in Baghdad and then the drone strike(s), while the UN not only issued no read out, but refused each and every one of Inner City Press' nine written questions, entirely corrupt, from Iran's Mission to the UN, forwarded by a number of recipients, an invitation to sign their condolence book for Soleimani: "In the name of God, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful    8 January 2020     Excellency,  Upon instructions from my Government and pursuant to my letters dated 3 and 7 January 2020 regarding the terrorist attack perpetrated by the armed forces of the United States of America against Martyr Major General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, I would like to inform you that on 8 January 2020, in the early morning hours of Tehran time, in exercising our inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran took and concluded a measured and proportionate military response targeting an American air base in Iraq from which the cowardly armed attack against Martyr Soleimani was launched. The operation was precise and targeted military objectives thus leaving no collateral damage to civilians and civilian assets in the area.  As a responsible member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, recalls its dedication to the maintenance of international peace and security and stresses that it does not seek escalation or war.  Seriously warning about any further military adventurism against it, Iran declares that it is determined to continue to, vigorously and in accordance with applicable international law, defend its people, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any aggression.  I should also avail myself of this opportunity to reiterate the full respect of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq.  I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.  Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.   Majid Takht Ravanchi  Permanent Representative  H.E Mr. Antonio Guterres  Secretary-General."

Inner City Press, though banned by Guterres from any entry of the UN due to its reporting on his corruption, will have more on this.  Inner City Press asked, along with nine other questions, in the morning. No answer at all from the corrupt UN, Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming.

Following the exclusive report by Inner City Press of May 26, the wind of panic in the Cabinet of Azoulay is blowing across UNESCO.  In February 2018, only few months after the election of the French Director General Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO launched the “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative ostensibly to participate in the reconstruction of this city, after years of war and destruction.  This seemingly noble initiative was in fact a cover up operation of reinforcing French influence in Iraq in order to secure markets and work for French companies. Inner City Press, before being roughed up and banned by Antonio Guterres, can trace this all the way back to France's abstention for BNP Paribas on Iraq Oil for Food.

  UNESCO was used and abused since then in the realization of that pragmatic end. All donations received from Governments around the world are accurately planned to be channeled in due course to corporations close to the French administration.  How did that happen? This is how. Immediately after the launch of the initiative, a special team was established within UNESCO led by the Director of the Cabinet of Azoulay, Nicolas Kassianides, well know by now for his illegal housing grants exposed by Inner City Press.

  Members of this restricted team are only fully loyal people to Azoulay such as the Assistant Director General for Culture Erneso Otone Ramirez, one of his senior Directors, Lazare Eloundou Assomo and the member of the Cabinet of Azoulay, exposed by Inner City Press as the forgetting her passport while traveling on official missions, Sunna Altnoder. 

As a next step, the Director of the UNESCO office in Baghdad, Louise Haxthausen, was removed straight away, since she was considered by Kassianides too close to the government of Iraq after her several years of experience in the country, and too independent in her dealing with issues that progressively became sensitive for French national interests. She was replaced by a Director well know for his submissive behavior in any circumstance, the Italian Paolo Fontani. 

At some point earlier this year, the Iraqi government expressed dissatisfaction that UNESCO is focusing on the reconstruction of one city only. The response from Azoulay was rib-tickling; in a meeting with the highest authorities of Iraq, she simply countered their line of reasoning by pointing out that UNESCO must first do the “re-looking of Mosul”.  The people present in the room are still telling the story over lunches and dinners when time for jokes arrives together with coffee and cognac.  Why focusing on Mosul is having a plain and simple rationalization. Most of the millions received by UNESCO are for projects to be implemented in that particular city. Actually, there are no prospects for business elsewhere at this stage. Thus, in corrupted UNESCO, the dirt keeps on oozing this time in the context of Iraq.  Furthermore, the French DG Audrey Azoulay supported and supervised personally the organization of a concert with her French partners and friends in Chateau de Chambord.

 Unfortunately for her, it did not attract any media attention outside Paris.  According to a member of the Cabinet of Azoulay, the transactions of UNESCO in Mosul are among the most well-kept secrets in the House. The Cabinet member even considers that a number of parallel dealings are most probably piloted by some specialized French services.

  For instance, why would the Director of Cabinet Nicolas Kassianides go on mission to Iraq next week? Since when is a UNESCO Director of Cabinet allowed to deal with tasks which fall normally under the responsibilities of the Director General, or of her Assistant Director generals for culture or for external relations.  Nicolas Kassianides proves to be an expert in shady deals and this is why he is the one designated by Azoulay to meet next week in Baghdad the Iraqi Ministers of Culture, of Education and for Foreign Affairs, as well as the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff who has nothing to do with UNESCO matters. All those meetings are clearly DG or Assistant DGs level. Obviously, if the Director of Cabinet was from another country but France, it would have been unconceivable to go on such high-level official mission. This French oriented management style is changing the nature of the organization, but strangely enough, UNESCO member states remain silent on that blatant usurpation of power by one country. 

  “Kassianides is clearly taking instructions elsewhere”, said our source in the Cabinet. “As a former staff of Quai d’Orsay, and being fully aware that his days in UNESCO are counted, he must keep good relations with his former administration in order to get a good position there after successfully defending the French national interest under the cover of multilateral UN work”.  The state of affairs in the Cabinet has been left to deteriorate progressively and as long as member states remain silent, the reputation of UNESCO will remain severely affected. The governing bodies of UNESCO must remember that it involves at present a number of different scandals with regard to Azoulay’s administration and a whole series of kickbacks and schemes that really make problems for the overall credibility of the organization. Still banned Inner City Press will have more on that.

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