As
US Pompeo Talks With Qatar UN
Guterres and Smale Punish
Critique of Al Jazeera With
Lifetime Ban
By Matthew
Russell Lee, CJR Scope
Letter
PFTracker
UNITED NATIONS,
August 22– How
does a media
organization
go from the
slogan
“Journalism Is
Not A Crime”
to getting a
journalist
banned for
life from the
UN for daring
to criticize
them in a
live-streamed
broadcast
including a
single use of
a profanity,
in a
sound-proofed
focus booth? Below
is the story
of Al Jazeera
at the UN, of
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres and
his Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric lying
about the
incident and
Alison Smale
using it to
ban Inner City
Press for
life. First,
on August 22
the US State
Department
Spokesperson
Heather Nauert
said,
"Secretary
Michael R.
Pompeo met
yesterday with
Qatari Foreign
Minister
Mohammad bin
Abdulrahman Al
Thani.
They affirmed
their mutual
interest in
promoting
security and
stability in
the region and
their
continued
commitment to
the strong
bilateral
relationship
between the
United States
and
Qatar.
They discussed
the importance
of the
Government of
Qatar’s
ongoing
support for
peace in
Afghanistan,
and in
promoting
regional
stability and
recent
progress
towards an
Afghan-owned
and Afghan-led
peace
process.
They also
discussed
support for
Iraq
government
formation." And
not
censorship?
On
August 17,
after already
having
suspended
Inner City
Press' access
to the UN for
45 days,
Guterres'
Under
Secretary for
Global
Communications
Alison Smale
issued a
letter
banning Inner
City Press for
life. The
letter accuses
Inner City
Press -
without
providing any
opportunity to
be heard or to
rebut - of
“conduct on
United Nations
premises
toward other
accredited UN
correspondents
and media
outlets
including
videos / live
broadcasts
using
profanities
and derogatory
assertions
toward them
without due
regard to
their dignity,
privacy and
integrity, in
violations of
the
Guidelines.”
Pg 3 (iv).
This is a
reference to
Inner City
Press, finding
that Guterres'
Spokesman
Dujarric was
giving a
private press
briefing in
the UN Press
Briefing Room
on June 19 on
a topic it had
asked about,
Guterres'
response to
the US
dropping out
of the UN
Human Rights
Council. In
the hallway,
after having
to get one of
Smale's
minders to
even try to
find out what
was being said
in the Press
Briefing Room
which is
suppose to be
open to all
journalists,
Inner City
Press called
the process a
“sleazefest.”
The
reference was
to Dujarric,
using
responses to
other
journalists'
questions as
an exclusive
reward to
favored pro-UN
outlets. It is
media critique
and it is
disgusting
that Dujarric
and Smale, for
Guterres and
it seems Al
Jazeera, would
move to ban
Inner City
Press for life
for it.
Notably, the
US Press
Freedom
Tracker,
belatedly
reporting on
Guterres' UN
crusade
against Inner
City Press, recounted
from 2016 that
“There is no
love lost
between Lee
and UNCA. Lee
joined UNCA
shortly after
he began
covering the
UN in 2005,
but left the
association on
bad terms in
2012 after
reporting on a
potential
conflict of
interest
involving
UNCA’s
then-president.
[Giampaolo
Pioli renting
one of his
apartments to
Palitha Kohona
then later
unilaterally
granting him,
as Sri Lanka's
Ambassador, an
UNCA screening
of a war
crimes denial
film.] The
UNCA meeting
was held on
January 29,
2016, in the
UN media
briefing room,
which is open
to all
accredited
journalists at
the United
Nations.
Although UNCA
wanted to use
the briefing
room to hold a
members-only
meeting, Lee
insisted that
he had the
right to stay
in the
briefing room
and even to
livestream the
meeting. UNCA
complained to
UN staff, who
eventually
cajoled Lee to
leave.In the
aftermath of
that incident,
the UN
stripped Lee
of his
'resident
correspondent'
status, making
him a
non-resident
correspondent.
Lee lost his
office and his
carte blanche
access to the
UN
headquarters
building.”
The UN
Press Briefing
Room is
supposed to be
“open to all
accredited
journalists at
the UN.” But
at least two
times,
Dujarric has
not followed
this, and both
times Inner
City Press has
contested it.
Today's UN is
a racket,
or
sleazefest: if
one stands up
to Guterres'
Dujarric and
the media
given an
exclusive for
Guterres'
election, Al
Jazeera, first
you get
evicted from
your office,
than banned
for life. A
sleazefest
indeed.
As Inner City
Press'
Periscope, here,
clearly shows,
it did utter
the F word
until it was
in the sound
proofed focus
booth.
Dujarric and
the Al Jazeera
trio only
heard it
later, on
re-broadcast.
To go looking
to feel
insulted or
even harassed
is pathetic.
It is, in
fact,
censorship.
After
Dujarric
misrepresented
the incident
to the
Columbia
Journalism
Review, Inner
City Press
reached out to
a range of Al
Jazeera
correspondents,
many of whom
follow Inner
City Press on
Twitter and
use its
information.
Despite the
slogan
“Journalism Is
Not A Crime”
not a single
one has yet
responded,
even as this
trumped up
incident has
been converted
by Smale into
a basis to ban
Inner City
Press for
life. Those
contacted and
not yet
responding now
despite the
lifetime ban
include,
sadly, Haru
Mutasa, Saad
Abedine, the
genial Gabriel
Elizondo,
Ragobeere,
Kristen
Saloomey who
was working on the Michael
Cohen plea
deal on August
21,
Simon Tate and
Gladys
Njoroge. Those
responsible on
June 19 were
James Bays and
Whitney Hurst, now
for Inner City
Press banned
from 49 days,
briefing, and
prospectively
the UNGA
high level
week. Journalism is
not a crime?
And in terms
of “without
due regard to
their dignity,
privacy and
integrity”
check out the
UNCA “leaders”
on August 20
at the first
Dujarric
briefing after
Smale's
lifetime ban
on Inner City
Press laughing
at about it,
in a briefing
Inner City
Press was
prohibited
from attending
and asking
questions at.
We'll have
more on
this.Does the
UN use its
partners in
state media
including from
the Gulf
to justify its
attacks
and banning of
the
critical
Press, or does
the UN do it
for them? This
is the question
about
and to Al
Jazeera. Two
weeks
after banning
Inner City
Press from
entering the
United
Nations, which
has closely
and critically
covered for a
decade, UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres'
"Global Communicator"
Alison
Smale for the
first time
deigned to
explain in
writing her
basis for the
ban, or
suspension of
privileges, citing
Inner
City Press'
"incivility."
This was
ghoulish,
applied to
Inner City Press as
its arm was
twisted by
Guterres' UN
Security
saying loudly,
"I am a journalist!"
But now
Guterres'
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric has
gone
further, in an article
published July
30 by the
Columbia
Journalism
Review. Dujarric - who
Inner City
Press
directed to
the CJR
reporter to -
is quoted
that " Lee
Periscoped
while
shouting, 'Fuck
you!'
repeatedly.
(Lee says he
was
complaining
that Dujarrac
had given the
Al Jazeera
crew a private
interview, and
excluded him.)
'He
creates an
atmosphere of
incivility
within our
working
environment,'
Dujarrac says."
That was
a lie. Inner
City Press on
June 19
when Dujarric
gave a "private
briefing" to Al
Jazeera's
James Bays and
producer Whitney
Hurst
about Nikki Haley
and Mike
Pompeo
announcing the
US pull out
from the UN
Human Right
Council said
in the hall
that is was a
"sleazefest."
After closing
the door of
the focus booth
it has been
confined to work in
for two years
by
Dujarric, and long
after the Al
Jazeera trio
including
James Bayes
and Whitney
Hurst were
done, said on
Periscope, F-You. Periscope
video - still
online
during this 27
day "investigation" -
here.
So
Dujarric is a
censor,
justifying the
beating up and
banning of a
journalist for
something he
broadcast in
a soundproof
booth to his
audience. This
is disgusting, all
the more so
because as
Inner City
Press has reported,
Dujarric told
an
interlocutor
on June 20,
before the two
beat-downs of
Inner City Press,
that things
would be worse
for it. Guterres and
Dujarric and
it seems Smale
are.. thugs. But
what about Al
Jazeera?
Inner City
Press is informed
that its
"Diplomatic
Editor" James Bays
has, in the
30 days Inner
City Press has
been fully banned
from the UN, repeatedly
trashed
it, despite his
profession
of "Journalism
Is Not A Crime." So Inner
City Press wrote
to one of his
predecessors
as AJE UN
reporter,
Kristen
Saloomey, gently
asking for
advice on how
to request
equal time on
Al Jazeera
which previously
had Inner City
Press on for
example
on its scoop about
the UN's
(bogus) plans
in Libya, here.
But no answer.
So Inner City
Press moved on
by public
e-mail
to Simon Tate,
Haru
Mutasa,
Cristina
Martinez,
Gladys
Njoroge, and
even
ragobeere,
alfarram,
pricea and
gallog, all
at aljazeera.net.
Tellingly,
nothing. No
response at
all.
Journalism is
not a crime?
It is
impossible, more
than ever, to
get an answer
from Dujarric:
he is off on a
vacation
from July 27
through August
14.
It is
particularly
noteworthy given
that, not
without
controversy,
the UN gave Al
Jazeera
and Bays the
"exclusive"
for the
debates by
which Guterres
over his female
rivals grabbed
the Secretary
General
position, one
of Inner City
Press' stories
here.
And,
just to begin
to wider the
circle, after
Inner City
Press audibly
from its
current UN
Delegates
Entrance
stakeout
raised the
issue to the
BBC's New York
correspondent
Nick Bryant, a
day later he
was praising
the/his UK
Mission on
camera giving
out a cake,
saying that at
the UN
journalists
are
"generally"
not treated
like an enemy
of the people.
Really? We've
asked
more. And it's
no more hypocritical,
in fact less,
than Reuters
which loudly
demands the freedom
of those it
has used in
Myanmar, whom
Inner City
Press
supports, while
actively
urging the UN
to evict and
ban Inner City
Press
- watch this
site.
Guterres'
Communicator
Alison Smale
wrote: “On two
recent
occasions, Mr.
Lee violated
th[e] Media
Guidelines by
attempting to
access United
Nations
premises
beyond the
scope of his
non-resident
correspondent
status and by
confrontations
with United
Nations
Security and
Safety
officials.
While you have
characterized
these
confrontations
as being
unprovoked,
the relevant
facts do not
support that
characterization.
Furthermore,
according to
the
above-mentioned
Media
Guidelines:
'Where
unexpected
circumstances
arise, the
approach will
be to avoid
confrontation,
maintain
civility and
find the
fastest,
safest and
most secure
acceptable
solution.
Those
Correspondents
who violate
the ground
rules
governing
access,
including the
abovementioned
standards of
ethical
behavior may
have their
accreditation
withdrawn or
suspended by
the United
Nations.'
As
a
result of Mr.
Lee's recent
actions in
violation of
the Media
Guidelines and
his
unacceptable
comportment
when dealing
with United
Nations
Security and
Safety
officials, Mr.
Lee's
privileges of
access to the
premises of
the United
Nations as a
non-resident
correspondent
have been
suspended.
These
privileges of
access will
remain
suspended
pending a
review of this
matter to
determine what
further
action, if
any, should be
be taken with
respect to
such
privileges.”
With
the ban on
Inner City
Press now
hitting three
weeks, and
Smale having
left on a
three week
vacation,
there is much
to be said
about her
reasons.
First, in
other of the
two occasions,
Inner City
Press was
within the
Guidelines,
which state
that
“Non-Resident
Correspondents
can access
UNHQ through
the Visitors’
Entrance at
46th Street
and 1st Avenue
between
0800-1900
hours from
Monday through
Friday.
Non-resident
Correspondents
only have
access to UNHQ
on weekends or
after hours
accompanied by
a resident
correspondent
or when a
meeting is
advised as
taking place.
Entry will be
allowed two
hours prior to
the start of
the meeting.
At the
conclusion of
the meeting,
the
non-Resident
correspondent
must exit the
premises
within an
hour, unless
accompanied by
a resident
correspondent.”
On
June 22 Inner
City Press was
pushed out of
the UN by UN
Lieutenant
Ronald E.
Dobbins,
irregularities
in whose
promotion
Inner City
Press has
reported on in
a previous
years, based
on a UN
Security
e-email leaked
to it, through
the General
Assembly lobby
in which it
was covering
an event,
listened in
Smale's
Department's
Media Alert,
which featured
a speech by
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres.
Dobbins called
in four
Emergency
Response Unit
officers who
refused to
give their
names when
Inner City
Press asked.
On
July 3 - after
Inner City
Press has complained
in writing to
Guterres about
its improper
ouster on June
22 including
Dobbins'
animus and the
ERU officers'
refusals to
give their
names -
Dobbins and
other still
unnamed
officer
assaulted
Inner City
Press as it
was covering a
UN Budget
Committee
meeting,
announced or
advised to it
by the UN
Spokesman for
the President
of the General
Assembly. The
meeting
concerned
Guterres' $6.7
billion budget
and proposed moving
of UN jobs
from New York
to Mexico
City, Uganda
to Kenya and
Geneva to
Budapest.
Inner City
Press'
reporter's
laptop was
smashed into
his backpack,
damaging it.
His shirt was
torn and his
arm was
pulled, then
twisted.
Most
ghoulishly,
Smale's July
19 explanation
to the
Government
Accountability
Project claims
that if a
person being
thus assaulted
by UN Security
speaks up,
saying loudly
“I am a
journalist!”
they are being
uncivil,
justifying a
suspension of
entry for
three weeks
and counting.
The
“review” that
Smale cited
included in
these three
weeks, as to
Inner City
Press, a
single one
hour
interrogation
on July 10 in
a basement
room across
from the UN by
UN Security
officers
Raughn Perry
and Valentin
Stancu. Perry
asked
questions,
only about the
July 3 ouster
and refused to
include in his
write-up
Inner City
Press
allegation of
retaliatory
animus by UN
Lieutenant
Dobbins or
that Inner
City Press had
informed
Guterres (and
Smale) of it
on June 25
before the
July 3, making
each of them
partially
responsible.
In the
weeks since
that
“interview” by
UN Security,
nothing, and
not only Smale
but also
Guterres went on
vacation, with
his Spokesman
now three
times refusing
to answer
Inner City
Press' written
questions as
to where, and
how much the
public is
paying.
We'll
have more, much more, on this.
***
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