Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the United Nations to Wall Street to the Inner City

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 27 -- Friday it was reported that "FSA's chief, Salim Idriss, was forced to cut short meetings with French defense and intelligence officials in Paris to head to Syria to ascertain the degree of dissatisfaction with the SNC and FSA. Jarba also left for Syria on Friday."

  As late as 2 pm on Friday, Jarba was fielding questions in a small room in the Intercontinental Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Tweeted photograph here.

 Twice during the week, his dubious press conference had been scheduled for inside the UN, the type of faux UN briefing he held in July in the locked-up clubhouse of the UN Correspondents Association.

  The UN was never willing to answer whether that was, in fact, a UN briefing. The Free UN Coalition for Access @FUNCA_info asked, why not have the Saudi Mission to the UN book a regular press conference, and call it what it is? Instead, after a postponement then cancellation, Jarba held his presser in the Intercontinental.

  With him, translating, was Louay Safi, "Spokesperson for The Syrian Coalition," who would go on to compare Assad to Hitler (never a good sign in an argument).

  Also present was Khalid Saleh, "President of the Media Office," to whom Inner City Press directed two questions Thursday evening (YouTube video here: http://youtu.be/tmGdFDJ2D7E)

They rejected any participation by Iran in the so-called Geneva Two process; they chided mainstream media for not being hard enough on Hezbollah.

  Meanwhile back at the UN, more and more ambassadors marveled at France bringing Jarba in as the so-called only legitimate representative of the Syrian people. One Permanent Representative asked Inner City Press, who elected him? Fabius and Francois Hollande? Actually, look to Riyad. Watch this site.