On
Libya,
Whack Talk in Senate, Silence from UN, Filipina Nurses on Both
Sides
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 6 -- Military action in Libya is ostensibly
coordinated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, under Security
Council Resolution 1973. But his name barely came up in the US Senate
hearings about Libya on Wednesday.
Rather,
Senators
asked if Gaddafi should be assassinated, and what is known about the
Benghazi based Transitional National Council.
Professor
Dirk
Vandewalle, whose “History of Modern Libya” makes clear the
pre-existing rift between Tripoli and Benghazi -- in fact, the black
“royal” flag being flown by the rebels is to some extent a
Benghazi flag, as Western created King Sanusi was based there --
acknowledged he knows little about the TNC's 31 members.
Tom
Malinowski of
Human Rights Watch, on the other hand, said that the TNC has the type
of leaders HRW would select for Libya. Perhaps there was a better way
to phrase this: is it HRW's job to select leaders?
After
the UN in
Geneva released a statement on Libya quoting Ban's key Moon-lighting
envoy Al Khatib that the TNC has asked for some UN help to sell oil,
no clarification was given.
Khatib, Ban & (Deputy) Spokesman:
disclosure of pass & payments not shown
Inner City
Press asked Ban's spokesman
Martin Nesirky, who claimed that the issue had been addressed when Al
Khatib visited the UN on April 4. But the question was about an April
6 UN statement.
Meanwhile,
Inner
City Press asked the Philippines Permanent Representative to the UN
how much Filipinos remain in Libya. Five hundred, he said, mostly
nurses, in both Tripoli and Benghazi. They are on both sides. Watch
this site.
* * *
UN
Refuses
to
Say If Libya Envoy Khatib Has UN “Staff” Pass While Paid by Jordan,
Tries to
Block Questions
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April
5 -- The UN Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon hit a new low on Tuesday, refusing to answer
basic questions from Inner City Press about Ban's envoy to Libya
Abdul Ilah Al Khatib: how he gets paid, if he has a UN Staff member
pass, and why there is no written documentation for the payments. Video
here.
A minute later, Inner City Press was urged to stop asking the
questions by the head of the UN Correspondents Association -- to which
Nesirky said he would complain -- citing Nesirky that "when there's no
answer, it's finito."
For
weeks Ban
spokesman Martin Nesirky and his acting Deputy Farhan Haq have refused
to answer if Al Khatib is still
being paid by Jordan as a Senator, and how this complies with UN
rules. Finally on April 4 Inner City Press asked Al
Khatib himself,
who acknowledging he is still a Senator said he is not a UN staff, it
is being negotiated. Video here.
On
April
5 Inner
City Press asked Nesirky if Al Khatib has an “S” Staff pass to
the UN, and how his claimed lack of contract complies with UN
Financial Rules & Regulations Rule 105.9, “Obligating
documents,” which provides that
“An
obligation must be based on a formal contract, agreement, purchase
order or other form of undertaking, or on a liability recognized by
the United Nations. All obligations must be supported by an
appropriate obligating document.”
Nesirky
did
not
answer, instead saying “I have not seen his pass, perhaps you did”
-- it was tucked into Khatib's jacket -- and concluding “I'm sure
it's all being looked into” then leaving the briefing room.
Moments
later the head of the UN Correspondents' Association approached Inner
City Press and said Nesirky
complained about the questions and how they were asked: “he's
saying that when he doesn't answer, that's it, you cannot keep with
the same question... If he doesn't answer you, it's finito.”
Previously,
when
Nesirky
refused in a briefing to explain why his Office had “amended”
a statement they put out by Ban Ki-moon in which he estimated that
50% of the post earthquake rubble would be addressed this year and
then chided Inner City Press for asking the question, Nesirky
said
“shut up” and then “I'm going to have to tell UNCA about this.”
Inner
City
Press
did not quote Nesirky regarding UNCA at that time, but does now.
Inner City Press believed, and believes, that this is an
inappropriate use of UNCA, on whose Executive Board this reporter
serves. The repeated attempt is both a waste of time and may debase
UNCA. But it seems this UN will try anything in order to not answer,
or even get asked, questions about how it spends money in
contravention of the UN's own rules. Watch this site.
Footnotes:
Ban's
spokesman
Nesirky began the April 5 “noon” briefing at
12:20, without explanation or apology. (He began on April 4 at
12:16.) Facing questions about UN military action in Cote d'Ivoire,
he told Inner City Press that the UN had not fired on Laurent
Gbabgo's residence.
When
a
French reporter followed up by saying the
France's Force Licorne had fired on Gbabgo's palace and asking if
Licorne's acts are attributable to the UN, Nesirky answered that it
is legal for the UN to call in Licorne. OK, but did they fire at
Gbagbo's residence?
Likewise
on
Sudan, Nesirky did not answer Inner
City Press' April 4 question about government air strikes in Darfur
or April 5 question about the government's blockade of the ZamZam IDP
camp. The series of unanswered questions continues.
* * *
, 
