UNITED
NATIONS, May 31
– After a
UN Security
Council
discussion on Syria during
their retreat
in Sweden, for
which the UN
refused to
provide the Press
with any list
of attendees
or costs, the
Council's
President for
May, Peru,
stood and read
"Elements to the
Press." . Days
after, Inner
City Press
asked the UN
Spokesman
about the
leaked video
from Golan, UN
transcript here:
Inner City
Press: Have
you seen the
UNDOF [United
Nations
Disengagement
Observer
Force) video
from 2012,
where the
Austrian UN
peacekeepers
appear to be
laughing as
Syrian-- [cut
off]
Spokesman:
No, no, we've
seen… we've
very much seen
this video,
which is
rather
disturbing.
At that time,
on 29
September
2012, UNDOF
reported that
it saw nine
Syrian
security
personnel
killed by 13
armed elements
during an
ambush inside
the area of
separation, in
the vicinity
of a UN
position on
Hermon South
in the Mount
Hermon
area.
The Security
Council was
duly informed
of the
incident.
It was also
publicly
reported in
the
Secretary-General's
report of
November 2012
on UNDOF's
activity.
I understand
an
investigation
is being
carried out by
the Austrian
authorities.
We're looking
forward to
that… to the
results of
that
investigation.
We will fully
cooperate and
are actively
following up
on this issue
with the
Austrian
authorities."
But doesn't
the UN have
some minimum
standards?
On May
4, Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you about that
video of
Austrian
peacekeepers
in… in UNDOF
[United
Nations
Disengagement
Observer
Force].
There's been
now an
acknowledgement
in Austria
that this
video didn't
just emerge
now, that it
was used by
the Austrian
military as a…
as a training
video, i.e.
they knew all
about it and
there's an
editorial in…
in Austria
saying:
"Questions
need to be
addressed to
the commander
of the UN
mission, as
well as to the
top floors of
the United
Nations in New
York."
What… what
does the
Secretary-General
think?
When it first
came out, it
seemed like it
had been a
lost video and
that the
questions were
really simply
for Austria
to… to… to
address, but
given that the
peacekeepers
wearing UN
helmets and
under UN
control are…
are… are
described by
people that
have seen the
video as
essentially
either sending
these Syrian
police to
their death or
laughing as
they were
killed, what's
the response
by the UN?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We are aware
that Austria
is looking
into this and
we'll provide
whatever
support we can
to their own
inquiry.
If there's any
further steps
to be
announced from
our end, we'll
let you know.
Inner
City Press:
But, you
disagree that
there's
questions as…
as… as the
press there is
saying that
it's not
simply an
Austrian
thing, given
that they were
under UN
control when
this occurred?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, they
were UN
peacekeepers.
Right now,
like I said,
Austria is
looking into
it and we're
going to
support
that. If
there's any
further steps
to be
announced from
our end, we'll
let you know
at that
point." But for
four weeks,
nothing. So on
May 31
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Dujarric, UN
transcript here: Inner
City Press:
I'm hoping you
have another
"if asked" on
this
one. It
has to do with
the… the
Austrian
peacekeepers
in the Golan
Heights in
2012 when the…
the Syrian
police were
ambushed and
killed.
It seems like
it's… they're
now reporting
in Austria
that the
Austrian
Defence
Ministry knew…
there's a
letter dated 9
October 2012,
in which they
were informed
of it, but
this letter
seems to refer
to some kind
of a conflict
between the UN
Command and
the Austrian
peacekeepers.
So, I wanted
to ask you
again about
the UN's
role.
What did they
know at the
time?
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General,
I think when
he was in
Vienna,
expressed full
confidence in
the ability of
the Austrians
to investigate
this. My
understanding,
as far as I
recall, we
would do our
own Board of
Inquiry after
the Austrian
investigation
is done.
The incidents
were reported
to the
Security
Council at the
time, and I
will leave it
at that." We'll
have more on
this.
At Dag's farm,
Staffan de Mistura
was there, with
black Mercedes
in the back;
Izumi
Nakamitsu, who
Inner City
Press first
reported would
be there, was not
mentioned. On
April 21 the
Organization
for the
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons team
has reached
Douma, the
OPCW announced.
Meanwhile,
France, the
UK and US have
slightly
modified their
new draft
resolution on
chemical
weapons, now
referring to
the "reported"
use of
chemical
weapons and
calling on Staffan
de
Mistura to
move toward
"a
constitutional
committee
comprising
representatives
of all
segments of
the Syrian
society." The
Security
Council
members are on
a retreat in
Sweden, with
as Inner City
Press first
reported
Disarmament
official Izumi
Nakamitsu.
On the 38th
floor the word
was that her
agenda is
"OPCW" - that
is, Douma. And
North Korea?
No other media
was up on the
38th floor for
this, other
than Inner
City Press. The
UN refused to
provide the
attendee list;
Inner
City Press
asked at the April
20 noon
briefing after
reporting on
Nakamitsu.
Is the draft
still veto bait?
Here's what
the OPCW has just
said: "The
Fact-Finding
Mission (FFM)
team of the
Organisation
for the
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons (OPCW)
visited one of
the sites in
Douma, Syrian
Arab Republic
today to
collect
samples for
analysis in
connection
with
allegations of
chemical
weapons use on
7 April 2018.
The OPCW will
evaluate the
situation and
consider
future steps
including
another
possible visit
to Douma. The
samples
collected will
be transported
to the OPCW
Laboratory in
Rijswijk and
then
dispatched for
analysis to
the OPCW’s
designated
labs. Based on
the analysis
of the sample
results as
well other
information
and materials
collected by
the team, the
FFM will
compile their
report for
submission to
the States
Parties to the
Chemical
Weapons
Convention for
their
consideration."
We'll have
more on this.
At 9 pm
on April
13 US President
Donald
Trump
announced airstrikes
on Syria, with
the UK and
Syria. In the
UN, Inner City
Press rushed
from the
phone booth it
works in to
the UN
Security
Council, only
to find the
music and
drinkers still
pulsing from
the UN
Delegates
Lounge. Video here. Russia
called a UN
Security
Council
meeting and
had a draft
resolution
voted on. It
failed, with
three in favor
(China,
Bolivia and
Russia), eight
against and
four
abstentions.
(Ethiopia
called its
abstention
pragmatic).
Video here.
Just
afterward, France,
the UK and
US put forward
yet anther
draft,
described by
many as veto
bait. The
draft
"demands” that
the Assad
government
negotiate “in
good faith,
constructively
and without
preconditions,”
and expands
the role of
the OPCW. On
the former,
France for one
never followed
through on its
Burundi
resolutions;
the UK never
even sought an
Any Other
Business
briefing on
the crackdown
in the former
British
Southern
Cameroons.
We'll have
more on this - and on
this:
the
self-described
pro-Abe
Japanese
newspaper
Sankei
Shimbun, which
missed the
Washington
news as it
misses and
bungles the
news at the
UN. On April
18 at a
stakeout on
Syria covered
by Inner City
Press, present
were other
Japanese media
but not
Sankei. Its
Mayu Uetsuka
"covered"
Stormy
Daniels, with
cookie cutter
comparisons of
the US and
France and
swipes at
evangelicals,
absurdly
under the
rubric
"Reading the
United
States." The
actual US lists
calls made by
Acting Secretary of
State
Sullivan: "The
following is
attributable
to
Spokesperson
Heather
Nauert: On
April 14,
2018, Acting
Secretary
Sullivan made
the following
calls to
foreign
leaders to
brief on the
strikes in
Syria: Kuwaiti
Foreign
Minister Al
Sabah, Czech
Foreign
Minister
Stropnicky, Turkish
Under
Secretary
Yalcin, Iraqi
Foreign
Minister
al-Jaafari." Some
wonder, why Czech
Republic,
where Chinese
businessman
and briber Ye
Jianming
remains an
adviser to the
President?
Meanwhile
there are
reports of air
strikes on
Jabal Azzan -
watch this
site. After
the UNSC
meeting, Inner
City Press
asked Russia's
Vassily Nebenzia if
any of the
abstentions
surprised him.
He stopped and
said that
Russia doesn't
twist any
arms, it is a
sovereign decision
of each
country. UN
Secretary General
Antonio
Guterres left
with his
entourage;
Inner City
Press asked
quite audibly.
so are you
going to Saudi
Arabia now? He
didn't answer;
Inner City Press
has asked his two
top spokesmen
now in writing
to be informed,
hour by hour.
It is, after
all, public money.
Watch this
site. The
failed draft
at the end,
“Condemns the
aggression
against the
Syrian Arab
Republic by
the US and its
allies in
violation of
international
law and the UN
Charter [and]
Demands that
the US and its
allies
immediately
and without
delay cease
the aggression
against the
Syrian Arab
Republic and
demands also
to refrain
from any
further use of
force in
violation of
international
law and the UN
Charter.”
Russian
Ambassador
Vassily
Nebenzia mocked
the UK and
France as
having joined
a military
action based
only on
the US
Constitution;
he used the
word "neo
colonialism."
Moments
before, Nikki
Haley,
entering the
UN Security
Council at 11
am on April 14
paused and
said, The time
for talk was over
and the time
for action had
come, that's
what happened
last
night. As she
kept walking,
there was a
shouted
question: What
is the proof? Vine
video here.
Earlier on
April 14 at
the Pentagon,
Lt Gen Kenneth
McKenzie
bragged that
there had been
no
military
response, and
that the
deconfliction
channel was
working with
Russia. Earlier
still on
April 14, the
Organization
for the
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons announced,
"The
Fact-Finding
Mission (FFM)
team of the
Organisation
for the
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons (OPCW)
will continue
its deployment
to the Syrian
Arab Republic
to establish
facts around
the
allegations of
chemical
weapons use in
Douma. The
OPCW has been
working in
close
collaboration
with the
United Nations
Department of
Safety and
Security to
assess the
situation and
ensure the
safety of the
team." There's
to be a 9 am
Pentagon
briefing.
Watch this
site. At
11:49 pm
on April 13
when UN
Secretary
General Antonio
Guterres was
to leave for
Saudi Arabia
he issued a
statement. In
response to
Inner City
Press'
question the
UN said, SG is
still in NY,
then this: "The
Secretary-General
has decided to
delay his
scheduled
travel to
Saudi Arabia." Inner
City Press
checked - his publicly
funded
mansion's
lights were
blazing. But
for now
long? From
DC came this, "attributable
to
Spokesperson
Heather
Nauert:
On April 13,
2018, Acting
Secretary
Sullivan spoke
with:
Senator Bob
Corker
Senator Robert
Menendez
Senator
Lindsey Graham
Congressman Ed
Royce
Congressman
Eliot Engel
Congressman
Mike Rogers
The Acting
Secretary is
speaking with
foreign
counterparts
now. When
those calls
are completed
we will
update." Inner
City Press
asked the UN's
top two
spokesmen: "What is
the Secretary
General's
comment (and
action) on the
US - France -
UK air strikes
on Syria? And,
right now and
each hour
until any UNSC
meeting, where
IS the
Secretary
General?" Guterres'
deputy
spokesman to
his credit
sent two
responses: "SG
is here, in
New York." and
"We may
issue a
statement
later."
Then at
11:48 pm, the
above. Since
lead spokesman
Dujarric said
Guterres was
leaving for Saudi
Arabia "this evening,"
does this
imply Guterres
like Trump has
decided to
delay? Watch
this site. Later
from the pool,
this about
the US Vice
President:
"Pence has
just spoken
with with
Senator
Schumer by
phone about
the Syria
military
operation." It
was
explained that
Schumer was in
the air. But
why the
silence from
the UN's
Guterres, even
if he may be
in the air for
blood money
from Saudi
Arabia?
From France,
Macron put out
this.
US
Senator Bob
Casey put out
this:
"While Bashar
al-Assad must
be held
accountable
for his
unlawful use
of chemical
weapons
against
civilians, the
strikes that
are being
carried out
are being done
without an
authorization
from Congress,
which is
unacceptable."
But the UN?
Party on.
Sec-Gen Antonio
Guterres, who
earlier
in the day had
dismissively waved
off an Inner
City Press
question
before meeting
with another Portuguese
and taking
gift to the UN
to his home -
in Lisbon? -
was on a junket
to Saudi Arabia.
But who would
call a UNSC
meeting? Watch
this site. The
day after
two and then a
third Syria
chemical
weapons draft
resolution failed
in the UN
Security
Council in New
York, Russia's
Ambassador
in Beirut told
al-Manar, "if
there is a
strike by the
Americans on
Syria ,
then... the
missiles will
be downed and
even the
sources from
which the
missiles were
fired."
Wednesday
morning before
7 am Trump
fired back on
Twitter,
"Russia vows
to shoot down
any and all
missiles fired
at Syria. Get
ready
Russia,
because they
will be
coming, nice
and new and 'smart!'
You shouldn’t
be partners
with a Gas
Killing Animal
who kills his
people and
enjoys it!"
Now after
Russia
requested a UN
Security Council
meeting on
April 13 there
is one, which
began at 10
am. SG
Guterres, who
continues to
restrict
the Press,
showed up,
unmemorably.
Russia's
ambassador
Nebenzia spoke
just after,
saying that the
US is moving
toward
military
action and
rebel groups
are ready to
follow suit.
Alamy photos here.
Nikki
Haley, just
before the
meeting began,
said she will
be heading
back to DC for
more meetings.
Periscope here. On
April 12 Inner
City Press asked
Russian
Ambassador
Vassily
Nebenzia if
his country
is, as some
report,
engaged in
de-confliction
talks with the
US so that if
they order
strikes,
Russian
casualties are
avoided or
minimized.
Nebenzia in
response
called such
casualties "unthinkable."
Periscope
video here.
He also
said Russia
wants an open
UN Security
Council
meeting with
UN Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres to
brief - and,
Inner City
Press adds,
for Guterres
to make his
position
known, as he
hasn't on, for
example, Syria as
president of the
UN Conference
on
Disarmament.
Inner City
Press asked -
watch this
site. On
April 11 it emerged
that in the
UK Theresa May
was convening
a "war
cabinet" for the
next day. So
on April 12,
back at the
UN, Inner City
Press asked UK
Ambassador
Karen Pierce about
the war cabinet
and if the UK
believes military
action absent
a UN Security
Council resolution
would comply
with the UN
Charter.
Pierce
said that's
something
ministers are
discussing in
London, she
would not say
anything about
it, "I refer
you to Number
10." Video here.
But the UK has
denied,
in full, Inner
City Press'
Freedom of
Information
Act requests
about Yemen
and Cameroon.
So what kind
of referral is
this? To be
fair, Pierce
has been
accessible
since (re)
arriving, so
we hope to have
more. At the
UN, Bolivia's
Ambassador has
"requested
a meeting of
the Security
Council due to
threats of
unilateral use
of force in
Syria." That
was the
Bolivian
Ambassador's
tweet. The
Council
presidency Peru,
however, has not tweeted
or Facebooked
that the
request is
granted; its
transparency
could be and
should be
improved, FUNCA
says. We'll
have more on
this.
On the
morning of
April 11 in
front of the
UN Security
Council, Sweden's
Ambassador Olof
Skoog when asked
said, We don't
respond to tweets.
He said,
“Whatever
happens now
has to be in
line with
international
law" - an
echo of
Bolivia's
Ambassador's
comment on April
10. French Ambassador
Francois
Delattre
dodged on
Trump's tweet,
saying You're
right, the
weather is
beautiful. He
said nothing about
the day's Council
topic, Mali,
on which
France holds
the pen. Nor
did the UN-favored
scribes
present ask
anything about
Mali.
In Washington,
while
Axios
AM for the
day didn't
once mention
Syria, and POLITICO
Playbook
mentioned it
only as a US
immigration
issue, Inner
City Press at the
US State
Department's
April 10 briefing
asked
Spokesperson
Heather Nauert
what the US
intends to do
with Syria set
to be
president of
the UN
Conference on
Disarmament
in late May. Video here, transcript
below.
Nauert
called it ironic
but said the
US hasn't yet
decided what
to do.
Most of the
other
questions in
the briefing
were about
Syria, with
references to
the OPCW and
the defunded
JIM, the UNIMI
not to be.
(Inner City
Press also
asked about
Cameroon, but
that's another
story -
post briefing
Periscope here).
On the
third
draft
resolution,
submitted by
Russia at 11
am, there were
five yes votes
(China,
Ethiopia,
Bolivia,
Kazakhstan and
Russia), four
against (US,
France, UK,
Poland) and
the other six
abstaining. With
US President
Trump canceling
his trip to
the Summit of
the Americas
in Lima in
order to focus
on Syria,
at the
UN his
Ambassador
Nikki Haley
has called for
a vote at 3
pm. Western
spokespeople
referred to a
vote on what
they called an
"old" Russia
draft as well - and
there may be a
new one voted
on as well. From
Washington,
the US issued
this Trump -
UK read out:
"President
Donald J.
Trump spoke
today with
Prime Minister
Theresa May of
the United
Kingdom.
Both leaders
condemned
Syrian
President
Assad’s
vicious
disregard for
human
life.
The President
and Prime
Minister
agreed not to
allow the use
of chemical
weapons to
continue."
From The Hague
the OPCW
issued this:
"Since the
first reports
of alleged use
of chemical
weapons in
Douma, Syrian
Arab Republic,
were issued,
the
Organisation
for the
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons (OPCW)
has been
gathering
information
from all
available
sources and
analysing it.
At the same
time, OPCW’s
Director-General,
Ambassador
Ahmet Üzümcü,
has considered
the deployment
of a
Fact-Finding
Mission (FFM)
team to Douma
to establish
facts
surrounding
these
allegations. Today,
the OPCW
Technical
Secretariat
has requested
the Syrian
Arab Republic
to make the
necessary
arrangements
for such a
deployment.
This has
coincided with
a request from
the Syrian
Arab Republic
and the
Russian
Federation to
investigate
the
allegations of
chemical
weapons use in
Douma. The
team is
preparing to
deploy to
Syria shortly." Bolivia's
Ambassador was
asked if he is
concerned
about US taking
military
action. "Of
course," he
said. "That
would be
against the
Charter." In
Washington the
State
Department has
a briefing at
2 pm; Trump is
said to be
close to a
decision.
Over the
weekend, nine
of the UN
Security
Council's 15
members called
for a meeting
about "reports
of chemical
weapons attack
in Syria;"
Russia called
for a meeting
on
international
peace and
security. After
the meeting
and
consultations,
Russia's
Ambassador
Vassily
Nebenzia said,
“Tomorrow is
tomorrow. I am
prepared for
everything.
Whatever
happens, we
leave it all
to chance.”
Sweden's Olof
Skoog
deferred to
the President
of the
Council, Peru,
whose Ambassador
said,
Members of the
Council
coincide on
need for
investigation
conducted by
OPCW. Experts
working on the
possibility of
a resolution
on the
matter.” He
said the
experts - not
at the
Permanent
Representative
level - would
work on April
10 but there was no
assurance a
vote would be
taken at that
time. Since
then Russian
Foreign
Minister
Lavrov has
said to expect
a new
Russian draft, and
President
Trump "will
not attend the
8th Summit of
the Americas
in Lima, Peru
or travel to
Bogota,
Colombia as
originally
scheduled. At
the
President’s
request, the
Vice President
will travel in
his stead. The
President will
remain in the
United States
to oversee the
American
response to
Syria and to
monitor
developments
around the
world.”
On April 9 Trump
with John
Bolton at his
left hand,
after
commenting on
Mueller and
the raid on
his lawyer
Michael
Cohen's
office, said
a decision
would be made
soon and the
press would be
told, probaby
after the
fact. Earlier
as the
Security
Council meetings
began, at
the Council
stakeout the
UK's Karen
Pierce was
asked if her
country supports
military
action. She
called it
hypothetical,
then pointedly
quoted Lenin. She
said her Foreign
Secretary
Boris Johnson
had
spoken with
Acting US
Secretary of
State
Sullivan.
Twice it turns
out: the US
has issued
this read-out:
"Acting
Secretary of
State John J.
Sullivan spoke
by phone twice
today with UK
Foreign
Secretary
Boris
Johnson.
During these
calls, the
Acting
Secretary and
Foreign
Secretary
discussed the
alleged
chemical
weapon attack
in Douma,
Syria, which
killed dozens
of innocent
civilians and
injured
several
hundred
more.
The two
leaders
discussed the
international
community’s
response and
potential
further steps
the U.S. and
UK governments
might take in
coordination
with other
partners." Sweden's
Olof Skoog, by
contrast,
said Sweden generally
does not favor
military
action. He has
proposed
elements for
discussion in
a closed door
consultation after
the open
meeting.
Russia's Nebenzia said
his country is
willing to
consider it. In
Washington,
President
Trump's
spokesperson
Sarah Huckabee
Sanders
repeated that
"currently"
the US is not
conducting air
strikes on
Syria. We'll
have more on that,
and on the air
strikes on Syria's
T4 base near
Homs, attributed
to Israel (and to
the advice
of Mattis).
In Washington, US
President Trump said at
his cabinet
meeting “It
was atrocious.
It was
horrible" and
that his
administration
will be
making a
decision on
Syria in the
next 24-48
hours. “This
is about
humanity and
it can’t be
allowed to
happen. If
it’s the
Russians, if
it’s Syria, if
it’s Iran, if
it’s all of
them together,
we’ll figure
it out.” (On meeting
North Korea's
Kim Jong Un, Trump
said meeting
will be in May OR early
June.)
In the UN
Security
Council
the
nine, this
time unlike on
March 19,
include Cote d'Ivoire.
The
UK On April
8 tweeted,
"UK, France,
US, Poland,
Netherlands,
Sweden,
Kuwait, Peru
and Cote
d’Ivore have
called an
emergency
meeting of
#UNSC to
discuss
reports of
chemical
weapons attack
in #Syria.
Meeting
expected on
Monday." Back
on March
19, these
other countries
did not have
Cote d'Ivoire
with them on
Syria,
resulting in a
failed vote to
hold a UN
Security
Council
meeting on
Syria. (An Arria
formula
meeting was
quickly
convened down
the hall,
where Inner
City Press
due to UN
censorship for
corruption can only
go, if at all,
with UN minder).
This time,
they got France-aligned
Cote d'Ivoire
on-side....
Today's UN of
Antonio Guterres, who just met
with ICC indictee Omar al
Bashir, and his Deputy Amina
J. Mohammed who has refused
Press questions
on her rosewood signatures
and now the refoulement of 47
people to Cameroon from "her"
Nigeria, has become a place of
corruption and censorship.
Amid UN bribery scandals,
failures in countries from
Cameroon to Yemen and
declining transparency,
today's UN does not even
pretend to have content
neutral rules about which
media get full access and
which are confined to minders
or escorts to cover the
General Assembly.
Inner City Press,
which while it pursue the
story of Macau-based
businessman Ng Lap Seng's
bribery of President of the
General Assembly John Ashe was
evicted by the UN Department
of Public Information from its
office, is STILL confined to
minders as it pursues the new
UN bribery scandal, of Patrick
Ho and Cheikh Gadio
allegedly bribing President of
the General Assembly Sam
Kutesa, and Chad's Idriss
Deby, for CEFC China Energy.
Last week Inner
City Press asked UN DPI where
it is on the list to be
restored to (its) office, and
regain full office - and was
told it is not even on the
list, there is no public list,
the UN can exclude,
permanently, whomever it
wants. This is censorship...
***
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Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
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