In
Syria,
Nasser Al
Kidwa Was
Blocked,
Guehenno to Be
Named, Annan
Foundation
Stonewall
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 19 --
After the UN
refused Monday
for the fifth
time
to disclose
who is on the
Syria team of
Kofi Annan,
ostensibly the
UN's and Arab
League's Joint
Special Envoy,
a well placed
Arab League
Permanent
Representative
confirmed to
Inner City
Press that
Syria
said that the
Arab League
nominated
deputy, Nasser
Al Kidwa,
could
not visit
Syria.
"He
is a
friend," the
Permanent
Representative
said, "but he
represents the
Arab League,
and Syria does
not agree to
the League's
plans or
proposals."
As
Inner City
Press first
reported, it
was after
Annan
unilaterally
fingered his
former UN
peacekeeping
chief Jean
Marie Guehenno
as his deputy
that
the Arab
League
rebelled and
demand that
Nasser Al
Kidwa be first
deputy.
Now,
sources tell
Inner City
Press that on
March 20 the
UN will
belatedly
confirm that
Guehenno is
another
deputy. On
March 19,
Inner City
Press obtained
and published
the
French-drafted
Presidential
Statement,
here.
Here
was the Q&A
on
Monday:
Inner
City
Press: I saw
where Mr.
Fawzi was
quoted as
saying that he
couldn’t say,
you know,
where they are
going, but can
you say who
they are?
Deputy
Spokesperson
Eduardo Del
Buey: No, we
cannot say who
they are.
Inner
City
Press: Why
not?
Deputy
Spokesperson
Del Buey: Because
we cannot say
who they are.
Inner
City
Press: And,
are they being
paid with UN
money and if
so, how can
you not say
who they are?
Deputy
Spokesperson
Del Buey:
Matthew, the
important
thing is that
we have
two teams on
the ground.
One is
following the
humanitarian
route to
see if we can
get
humanitarian
aid to the
people who
desperately
need
it. The other
one is there
to try and
find a
political
solution to
the
situations, so
the violence
and killing
end. Those are
the main
themes we are
working on. If
and when we
have
administrative
issues
to discuss, we
will discuss
them.
Inner
City
Press: My
question is
whether Nasser
Al-Kidwa, the
deputy who
was named and
appointed by
the Arab
League, is
among those
going, and
it is not an
administrative
detail.
Deputy
Spokesperson
Del Buey: I
cannot say. I
cannot say, I
am sorry.
After
the UN thus
stonewalled
for the fifth
time, saying
"we cannot
because we
cannot," Inner
City Press
sent the
questions to
the Kofi Annan
Foundation,
where another
team member
and disgraced
former UN
official Alan
Doss also
works. The
questions:
Hello.
I'm
told you were
on list UN
gave to Syrian
Mission to the
UN of
those going to
Damascus. I am
a reporter at
the UN who has
repeated
asked: who is
on the team,
who is getting
paid, what is
Mr.
Guehenno's
status and
other
questions,
without any
answers.
So
I'm
writing to
you:
Is
Mr. Guehenno
part of the
team?
Did
Nasser
Al Kidwa seek
to go the
first time?
the second
time?
Who
has
gone on the
technical
mission which
started
Sunday?
Which
team
members are
being paid
from the
$900,000
authorized in
the GA
resolution?
How much?
Is
the
Kofi Annan
Foundation
financing any
part of the
mission? Or
receiving fund
for the
mission to
Syria?
While
not
stated on its
web site, has
the Kofi Annan
Foundation
either
solicited or
received funds
from sources
with interests
in Syria,
including but
not limited to
Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, the
UAE, including
government
affiliated
businesses or
businesspeople
in these
countries?
What
is
the contact
information
for Mr. Fawzi,
the spokesman
for the Joint
Special Envoy
who had
retired from
the UN?
Please
provide
answers as
quickly as you
can, as each
become
available.
Thank you in
advance.
Hours
later this
arrived:
From:
[
at]
kofiannanfoundation.org
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
InnerCityPress.com
Date: Mon, Mar
19, 2012
Subject: Re:
Press
question re
Joint Special
Envoy, team,
KofiAnnanFoundation,
please
confirm
receipt,
thanks
Mr
Lee,
Thank you for
your message
which I have
passed on to
Ahmad Fawzi
who will be in
touch with you
shortly. You
might refer
your questions
to Mr Jared
Kotler at DPA
who is better
placed to
answer your
questions
about the work
of the JSE for
Syria.
Hours
still later,
at deadline,
still no
response at
all from Ahmad
Fawzi, the UN
compensated
spokesman for
the UN - Arab
League Joint
Special Envoy.
(c) UN Photo
Guehenno &
Ban's incoming
DSG Jan
Eliasson: is
Ban not ready
for prime
time?
This follow up
was submitted:
Thanks
for
confirming
receipt; I'll
wait to hear
back from
Ahmad Fawzi.
Here
in NY, UN
spokespeople
have not
provided basic
information.
DPA chief
Lynn Pascoe,
when I asked
him at a press
conference
about
mediation,
did confirm
that former UN
official Alan
Doss is
involved, but
that's
it. With all
due respect,
the financial
questions that
relate to the
Kofi Annan
Foundation and
its officials
and staff,
maybe you can
answer?
And
still, Fawzi
was
not heard
from, nor
these follow
up questions
answered.
Watch this
site.
, 
