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

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- When the Syrian Coalition's Special Representative to the UN, Dr. Najib Ghadbian, held a press conference on May 14, Inner City Press asked him of the significance of the Obama administration designating the Coalition as a “foreign mission,” and of responses to the Coalition's requests for weapons. Video here.

  Ghadbian called US “foreign mission” status symbolic and political as well as legal. He said the Coalition would like to take over Syrian embassies and consulates, and to get Syria's seat at the League of Arab States which it had in one Summit but not since.

  On weapons Ghadbian called the Coalition's meetings in Washington with members of both houses of Congress, from both parties, productive, and said they'd like a pilot program like the TOW missiles. Video here. This may cause some response.

  Inner City Press also asked about the pending France-US draft Security Council resolution to refer some parts of the conflicts in Syria to the International Criminal Court. Ghadbian acknowledged that some -- he mentioned African countries -- don't like the ICC but said, these are the international institutions.

  He predicted that Russia, but perhaps not China, will veto any ICC referral. Human Rights Watch did not appear, as advertised, at the press conference; Ghadbian apologized, and thanked his staff. He said he will be back soon to talk about starvation. Watch this site.