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By Matthew Russell Lee, Video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, March 8 – How corrupt and far from its supposed principles has the UN system gotten under Antonio Guterres? Today's example is the UN "Goodwill Ambassador" who has cheered on air strikes by her country against another. It's the UN hypocrisy that's our point, but the country is India and the "Ambassador" is Priyanka Chopra. Her "Jai Hind" tweets after the airstrikes on Pakistan has given rise to a petition. But what will the distracted and corrupt Antonio Guterres say? Inner City Press asked for comment, in writing - but no answer at all from Guterres spokes- / hatchetman Stephane Dujarric, who after the question told his handpicked scribes, "The Secretary-General has had no calls with those two heads of government as far as I am aware, but he has had contacts with both sides to express his concern and the need to do as much as anyone can to de-escalate the tension." What a joke - is it that these PMs would not take his call? How low has Guterres brought the UN that it cannot even speak to the principals in a stand off between nuclear powers? Now on March 8 it's the US and UK which discuss it. From US Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino: "Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met with UK National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill today to discuss key global priorities, including support for reducing tension between India and Pakistan, securing progress in Syria, and countering Iran’s malign influence.  The two reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the U.S.‑UK special relationship and cooperation in the face of major global challenges." Here's from Guterres directives to UN staff, February 2019: "A staff member’s activity on personal social media, even when unrelated to official duties, may reflect on the Organization and may expose  the United Nations to reputational risk. As inter- national civil servants, staff have a duty to be  and appear to be both independent and impartial. As such, staff must ensure that the expression of their personal views and convictions on  social media does not adversely affect their official duties, reflect poorly on their status as international civil servants or call into question their duty of loyalty, impartiality and responsibility to the Organization." What about cheering on airstrikes? What about Guterres' lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric blocking Inner City Press on Twitter?  Inner City Press, already banned by Guterres for 242 days and counting amid its questions on his inaction on the killings by Cameroon and his links to CEFC China Energy, has asked this: "March 4-3: On India and Pakistan, what is the SG's comment and action on a UN system Goodwill Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra, tweeting "Jai Hind" after India's airstrikes on Pakistan, and on the petition that she be removed from any UN position?"
The Qatar ruling family's abuse of employees and laws was exposed in an off the record initial conference at in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 14; Inner City Press was the only media present.  Since its exclusive report that day, Inner City Press has been contacted by more employees and whistleblowers and a range of apparent legal violations by the Qatar royal family has come to light, see below.

  Meanwhile, from Sudan Inner City Press has received detailed allegation of UN staff of Antonio Guterres improperly in fact reporting to Qatar. In Guterres' UN, money talks, and human rights and press freedom have taken a walk, involuntarily, some time ago. From whistleblowers in Sudan: "a recently appointed as Team Leader for UNDP Strategic Planning Unit in Sudan, Anisha Thapa is already engaged in harassment, violating UNDP's Program and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP), spying and leaking information to external sources.  Anisha got a post as Information Management Analyst (under the supervision of former Director Yvonne Helle of whom Inner City Press has previously reported, before being roughed up and banned under Guterres). Anisha spent most of her time doing data gathering and analysis, which turned out to be sharing sensitive information collected during her course of work about Sudan to Qatar State Security (QSS) which is a state intelligence agency of Qatar, it is a branch of the Qatari Ministry of Interior. No significant action has been taken against her due to the support she received from top-corrupted line managers - and Guterres' well known anything for money approach. As a result, she become extremely aggressive toward her colleagues, as the tension raises.  UN Assistant Secretary General Mourad Wahba, and the UN Country Team in Sudan led by RC Gwi Youp Son continue to buy these lies." A fish rots from the head: Guterres. And Inner City Press receives more and more of these complaints against Guterres, as he destroys, and publishes then as there are no answers despite Smale's promise to UNSR David Kaye, and Dujarric's on camera promise. This is today's UN.

Beyond the failure to pay overtime which was the subject of the February 14 proceeding, Inner City Press is now informed that others of the Qatar royals' workers are brought in through JFK airport on private jets, into limousine that drive onto the tarmac. These employees are then made to work long hours with no protections in the mansion at 9 East 72nd Street in Manhattan.

  But even three days after Inner City Press' detailed report, on February 19 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who lavish praise on the Qatar royal family had said nothing on this hypocrisy as he speechified about human trafficking generally: "I am pleased to address this important gathering on migration, one of the most important challenges of our time. I welcome your adoption of the Istanbul Commitments and the Call for Action.  And I commend the significant work the Budapest Process has achieved over more than 25 years. Indeed, those accomplishments contributed to the successful adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration last December by the United Nations General Assembly.  Now, our attention must focus on generating effective cooperation that responds to the Compact - addressing the complex challenges of migration while reaping its many benefits, saving lives and taking stronger action to crack down on human trafficking." We'll have more on this - and this: on February 18 Qatar's state media with the slogan "Journalism Is Not A Crime" had not reported even the court allegations against Sheikh Jassim Al Thani. Instead, Al Jazeera English's James Bays in a nearly empty UN noon briefing asked a softball question about UN negligence leading to deaths of civilians in the Central African Republic. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq's wan answers (Inner City Press video here) were later turned into propaganda by AJE that the UN is acting on the report has as ignored since October. This is how the UN censorship alliance works, or doesn't - evasive answers mis-presented as expressions of commitment and concern by a media so corrupt it would ignore human trafficking by its sponsors. We'll have more on this.

Inner City Press is informed, tellingly, that one female worker from the Philippines in forced to sleep in front of  Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani's bedroom room so that she can be ready to bring him food or water or even give massages at any hour. His wife Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, the sister of Qatar's ruler, buys art for Qatar's museum and runs the "Reaching Out To Asia" foundation. Meanwhile her workers have their hair pulled and a tooth broken by her son. When workers are fired they are urged to fly to Doha where they would face arrest.

The scams work this way: the Qatari royals' employees signed contracts in Doha and then are told that their visas to the US, unless they are smuggled / trafficked in through the JFK Airport tarmac, are under the control of the royals. While waiting to be processed at JFK they are presented with a new less favorable contract and told if they do not sign it, they will not be admitted. If they work for the family in Qatar, they face imprisonment for any disagreement.

In New York the family's close protection guards, some without visas, brandish illegal large knives. NYPD was called when the royals sought to have one fired employee, Chantelle McGuffie, removed from her apartment at 221 East 50th Street near the UN. Still this family, these systematic crimes, have yet to be acted on by authorities including the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York despite the facts dragged through the SDNY court.

Inner City Press, in reporting this despite threats - at the UN, Qatar's state media Al Jazeera has worked with UNSG Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric to have Inner City Press roughed up and banned, see Columbia Journalism Review here - aims to put an end to this impunity. Watch this site.

Background: the sister of the ruler of Qatar is being sued by at least three employees who say they were made to work six days a week without being paid overtime, and were retaliated against. Inner City Press was the only media present at the initial pre trial conference on the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 14, and was tempted to object when the Qatari royal's lawyer from the Proskauer law firm urged SDNY Judge J. Paul Oetken for a confidentiality order.

Royals of a gas-rich emirate that has locked up poets for criticizing them, seeking to cover up their retaliation and refusal to pay overtime? It remains to be seen how much will be covered up in the case. Inner City Press has asked, twice, and will have an update. The defendants are Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al- Thani.

From the answer to the Complaint: "Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft began his employment in Doha, Qatar and that he accompanied Defendants when they moved to New York, but otherwise deny the  allegations in Paragraph 39 of the Complaint.  40. Defendants deny the allegations in Paragraph 40 of the Complaint.  41. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their European travels in various countries during the summer of 2016, but upon information and belief,  otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 41 of the Complaint.    42. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their trip to Qatar in the summer of 2017, but otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 42 of the  Complaint.  43. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft accompanied Defendants on their European travels in various countries during the summer of 2018, but upon information and belief,  otherwise deny the allegations in Paragraph 43 of the Complaint.    44. Defendants admit that Mr. Bancroft traveled with the family to Miami and Boston."

 This is the life of corrupt royals and diplomats, such like those at the UN up to and including its Secretary General Antonio Guterres who lives alone in a $15 million mansion on Manhattan's Sutton Place (where he favors Qatar state media Al Jazeera, using it to oust the independent Press which questions him.) This is the world of immunity and impunity and now, it is urged, confidentiality. Inner City Press, now covering the SDNY daily, will have more on this.

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