UNITED
NATIONS, May 2
-- On Syria,
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon met
with
the Permanent
Five members
of the
Security
Council at
10:45 am.
But
even after
noon, the
meeting was
not on Ban's
online public
schedule. So
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
about
it. From
the UN's
transcript:
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
the
Secretary-General
invited the
ambassadors of
the
permanent five
members of the
Security
Council to an
informal
meeting
this morning,
for
discussions on
Syria. They
discussed
possible
diplomatic
moves to end
the crisis. He
briefed them
on the latest
developments
relating to
the chemical
weapons
investigation
mission. And
they also
discussed the
ever-worsening
humanitarian
situation
inside Syria
and the
neighboring
countries and
international
efforts
to alleviate
it. Okay, yes?
Inner
City Press: it
might seem
kind of
procedural to
you, but I am
looking
at the
appointments
of the
Secretary-General’s
page, and I
don’t
see that
meeting. I
understand it
may have come
up quickly,
but is
this the type
of meeting
that normally
would be
listed? I have
been
trying and
understand
what gets
listed and
what doesn’t
get listed.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
The first part
of your
layered
question has
the answer in
it.
Inner
City Press:
Meaning what?
That it came
up quickly?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Correct. Next
question?
But
the meeting
wasn't even
put on Ban's
online
schedule an
hour and a
half after the
meeting took
place. Last
week, Inner
City Press
asked
Nesirky about
Ban meeting
former French
president (and
current
investment
adviser to
Qatar)
Nicholas
Sarkozy.
Nesirky
didn't
answer Inner
City Press,
but gave
the answer to
Agence France
Presse: Ban
met Sarkozy at
Ban's
UN-provided
residence. It
was never
put on Ban's
schedule
-- despite
Sarkozy's
connection
with Qatar,
which is to
say, on Syria.
Now
on May 3, Ban
is publicly
scheduled to
meet his
chemical
weapons
prober Ake
Sellstrom at
12:30 pm. Will
Sellstrom have
considered any
of the evidence
of Anastasia
Popova by
then? On
May 1
Inner City
Press asked
Nesirky:
Inner
City Press:
yesterday, the
Russians
hosted a
Russian State
journalist
that had been
in Syria for
some eight
months,
Anastasia
Popova. Among
other things, she said
that she was
in Khan
al-Assal just
after
the attack and
interviewed
people.
So, she said
that she is
offering
this evidence.
She said that
the Pinheiro
panel didn’t
want to
speak with
her, saying
that they
would only
speak
first-hand to
refugees, but
I am wondering
whether it is
the
Secretary-General’s
understanding
that his
probe, if it
can’t get into
the country,
or
while it can’t
get into the
country, is
this the type
of evidence
that they
would be
willing to
take a look
at?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
The mission is
looking at
many different
kinds of
material
that is
available. And
if this
journalist,
Ms. Papova,
has
information
that she
thinks is
useful, then
she should
seek to
contact the
team. I am
sure that she
could do that
through the
Russian
Mission. I am
sure that that
would be
feasible.
Whether it
turns out to
be admissible
evidence or
not is another
matter, but
there is no
reason not to
at least make
the offer.
Watch
this site.
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