Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

In NY, as Obama Raises Wall Street Money for his Party, Lady Gaga Goes for Rainforest

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 -- First Avenue in front of the UN was lined with metal police barricades on Thursday. Nor for a protest of Libya getting a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, but as the route for Barack Obama's DCCC fundraiser at the St. Regis Hotel.

There, couples were charged $50,000 to meet Obama and attend a private reception. The minimum charge was $15,000, for an individual. For this they got lobster in something called yuzu dressing, and "truffle gift box potato." Many of the attendees from from Wall Street; some politicians stayed away. Nevertheless fully 21 of New York State's 26 Democratic Party members of Congress were slated to attend.

There were protests, right on time at 6 o'clock. By seven pm after twenty-some arrests, they were gone. What were the politicians afraid of? Being spotting by the media?

Business-backed Kathryn Wilde of the Partnership for NYC made an implicit threat: "New York's future as a place to raise money hangs in the balance!" If you regulate too hard, we won't keep paying you.

Obama with Libya's Ali Treki, lobster not shown

In the protest's aftermath, when Fifth Avenue was filled with Obama fans and gawkers, Inner City Press asked Jeff "Bootstraps" Fisher why the protesters left so quickly. "If you had an M-16 pointed at you, you'd leave too," he said."Google me," he added, noting that four blocks away at Carnegie Hall, Lady Gaga was playing, "there are more people there than here."

Over at Carnegie Hall, the concert of Lady Lady and Elton John and Sting, produced by Trudy Styler, was to benefit the Rainforest Fund. At the St. Regis, it was to benefit a political party, with money from Wall Street. A foreign correspondent marvels, "Lady Gaga has more soul?" For this night at least.

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On Sri Lanka War Crimes, US' Rice Supports UN's Ban, So Panel Without Delay?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 -- U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice told the Press on Thursday, "the Secretary General has a very constructive and worthy interest in accountability inside Sri Lanka and we support his leadership in that regard." Video here, from Minute 8:46.

For two months the Sri Lankan government has lobbied against UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's March 5 announcement he would "without delay" name a panel of experts to advise him about war crimes in the country.

Last week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced the country's own "mechanism" to look at "lessons learned." When US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice on May 10 issued a statement welcoming and setting benchmarks for the Rajapaksas' mechanism, without mentioning Mr. Ban's proposal, it brought into question whether the U.S. supported Ban's move toward outside review.

Inner City Press on May 11 sought comments from Ambassador Rice and the State Department, and from Human Rights Watch. The latter responded first, by way of Tom Malinowski, HRW's Washington Advocacy Director:

“Sri Lanka has a long history of failed commissions of inquiry and there is no indication that this one will be any different. Everyone should be asking what happened to the committee Sri Lanka established in response to the October US State department report. The members of that inquiry were initially supposed to report in December 2009 and then in April, but nobody has heard from them since. The Sri Lankan government launches these efforts from time to time not because it wants to bring out the truth, but because it wants to delay calls for an international investigation. There is no reason to let this process play itself out again to its inevitable, inconclusive end before calling for an independent, international inquiry, which is realistically the only way forward.”

On May 13, after Ambassador Rice spoke of positive developments in the UN Human Rights Council since the U.S. joined -- she did not mention the flip of the EU proposed resolution about the killing of civilians by Sri Lanka's government into one praising and demanding resources for the government -- she took four questions, about Libya, Iran and at the end, Sri Lanka.

US Rice and UN Ban, action on accountability not yet shown

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice to clarify her May 10 statement -- does the U.S. support Ban Ki-moon's stated intention to without delay name a panel to advice him on war crime in Sri Lanka, or does the Sri Lankan mechanism replace that?

"As I think you know, Matt, my statement didn't address that one way or another," Ambassador Rice began. Yours "is a different question. Why don't you ask that question, instead of asking me to reinterpret my statement?"

The question re-asked, Ambassador Rice said that "the Secretary General has a very constructive and worthy interest in accountability inside Sri Lanka and we support his leadership in that regard." Video here, from Minute 8:46.

Ironically, a senior Ban administration official on May 11 told Inner City Press, in light of Ambassador Rice's statement, that Ban would now wait to see how the Sri Lankan mechanism developed before acting on his stated intention to name his own panel "without delay." Now what? What this site.

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On War Crimes Experts, UN Waits for "Sham"Sri Lankan Panel, Hiding Behind Rice

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 -- The UN's statement on May 10 that on naming a panel of experts on war crimes in Sri Lanka Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's wheels are turning -- or spinning -- was amplified to Inner City Press on Tuesday by a senior Ban official. "Now they've come out with theirs," the UN official said, referring to the Rajapaksa administration's announcement of a "mechanism."

"It will be a sham," the UN official continues. Inner City Press asked, but how long will it take the UN to reach that conclusion? The UN official shrugged. "They have to appoint the members." He paused. "Susan Rice did a very good thing," he said, referring to US Ambassador Rice's May 10 statement on Sri Lanka.

"She welcomed it but listed expectations which they will never meet," the UN official said.

Inner City Press asked the official, as it has now asked the US State Department, what ever came of the committee the Rajapaksa administration named in November 2009. The official shrugged. "There is an EU statement coming," he said.

Earlier on May 11, as US Ambassador Susan Rice entered the Security Council for a meeting on terrorism sanctions, Inner City Press began to ask for a question about the statement issued in her name the previous day - what does it mean for the U.S.' support of Ban Ki-moon intention announced on March 5 to name a panel of experts to advice him on accountability in Sri Lanka?

Ambassador Rice indicated she was busy. Later a genial Mission staffer came to asked what the question was -- Inner City Press rephrased it -- and said he would go in and get an answer. But leaving the Council along with Ambassador Rice, he said he'd have to check with the "Sri Lanka people."

Hours later in the UN's North Lawn building he again promised an answer. But still as of close of business and deadline, none was provided. Inner City Press sent this and other questions to an Assistant Secretary of State in Washington. Watch this site.

UN's Ban and Susan Rice, experts on war crimes not shown

From the UN's May 10 transcript:

Inner City Press: There is a report in Sri Lanka that the visit of Lynn Pascoe has been delayed by the Government; that the request was made that it be in mid-May. The Government said no. Now dates in June have been proposed, and this article.. seems to link Pascoe’s visit with the appointment of this Panel of Experts to advise the Secretary-General on accountability -- meaning they wouldn’t be named until his visit. And now the visit, according to this, has been put off to June. Does the UN disagree with this portrayal? What is the connection between his visit and the naming of the panel? And is the visit not, in fact, going to take place in May despite the wheels that you described being motion?

UN Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, thank you for prompting me; the wheels are still in motion on both the visit by Mr. Pascoe…

Inner City Press: Does the Government have the brakes on your wheels?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, that’s for you to ask the Government of Sri Lanka. What I can tell you is that the UN wheels are definitely turning, and they’re well-oiled. And what they’re turning towards is, one, a visit by Mr. Pascoe, and, two, for the Panel of Experts that we’ve discussed many times here.

Inner City Press: This article says that there are some connections between the two; that that the panel would not be named before the visit is made. I have been told by the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka that, given changes on the ground there, no panel is needed and he predicts that no panel will be named. So, is there any connection at all between Mr. Pascoe’s visit and the naming of the panel that’s now been delayed more than two months? Or not been delayed; it’s been two months since it was announced it would happen.

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, I don’t think that we should draw a line between the two or to see this as cause and effect. The visit and the composition and naming of the panel -- these are two separate matters.

Footnote: another reason clarification of Ambassador Rice's statement, is sought is the re-emergence in State Department of Samantha "Problem from Hell" Power, who wrote the -- well, a -- book on the lack accountability for war crimes. What does she think of the statement?

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 083

May 10, 2010

AS DELIVERED

Statement by US Ambassador Susan E. Rice on Sri Lanka's Announcement of a Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation

The U.S. Government welcomes President Rajapaksa's announcement of his intention to establish a Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the recently ended conflict in Sri Lanka and his acknowledgment in doing so that accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law is a crucial pillar of national reconciliation and the rule of law. Experience in other countries has shown that commissions of inquiry can play a valuable role in advancing accountability when they are appropriately constituted and enjoy broad public support. Particularly important in this regard, broad experience has shown that to be effective in advancing accountability and reconciliation, commission members should be and be perceived as independent, impartial and competent; their mandate should enable them fully to investigate serious allegations of violations and to make public recommendations; commission members and potential witnesses must enjoy adequate and effective protection; the commission must receive adequate resources to carry out its mandate; and the Government should undertake to give serious consideration to its recommendations. We hope the commission will also reflect the desires and requests of the citizens of Sri Lanka, who were the primary victims of the conflict. Being responsive to their needs will be an important measure of the commission's success. In light of these general principles, we would welcome the Sri Lankan Government's commitment to give the Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation a mandate to probe violations of international standards during the final stages of the conflict and to identify those responsible and, we would expect, to make appropriate public recommendations based on its findings.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/sri5unfollow051310.html

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On Sri Lanka, As UN's Ban Delays on Panel, Pascoe's Trip Delayed For "Goodies"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 -- Two months after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would form "without delay" a panel of experts to advise him on possible war crimes in Sri Lanka, still no such panel has been named.

In the interim, the UN has said that Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe will travel to Sri Lanka. But that has not happened or even been nailed down yet.

A senior UN official told Inner City Press on May 5 that they think Sri Lanka is putting off the trip so that they can put certain things in place and show "goodies" to the UN. Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN Palitha Kohona continues to predict that Ban will never go forward and name the panel. "Ask them why they would name a panel," Kohona has urged Inner City Press, "for anything more than fundraising."

Inner City Press has put Kohona's question to the senior UN official, who while not confirming that the panel idea is dead or dying, said the UN is happy to think that improvements are being made under the shadow of a visit. In fact, Inner City Press was told that an Austrians national was approached about being on the panel. But two month are two months.

UN's Ban and Pascoe in Uzbekistan, Lankan follow through not shown

Meanwhile in Sri Lanka itself, the Red Cross still does not have access to the so-called rehabilitation centers, and there are whispers of a slew of babies being born to women who were in government detention nine months before.

The IMF has delayed the next tranche of its loan, as the government has not followed through on its commitments.

The so-called CHAP was rejected by presidential brother Basil Rajaksa, NGOs complain. They do not complain loudly, threatened as they are with expulsion from the country. Watch this site.

From the UN's transcript of its April 30 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: This is, it’s now been seven weeks since the Secretary-General said that without delay a panel of group of experts would be named to advise him on accountability in Sri Lanka. It was also said that Mr. [B. Lynn] Pascoe would be visiting the country. Has a request for Mr. Pascoe to visit been made, and what progress, if any, has there been on naming this group of experts?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: A visit by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, is in the works and is likely to take place fairly soon. We don’t have a date yet, but it’s in, if you like, an active planning phase. So that’s to answer the first point. The second point: the Secretary-General has made clear that this panel of experts will be put together without delay, and I know that that is indeed the case. People are working actively on putting that panel together. It is not complete yet, and neither are the terms of reference. But active work is being done on this and the Secretary-General is very clear that there will be no delay. But it needs to be done properly.

Watch this site.

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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