Syria
Blocked
Annan Deputy Nasser
Al
Kidwa, Sources
Tell ICP, UN
Stonewalling
on Alan Doss
& Kofi's
Trip
Explained?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 13, updated
-- For Kofi
Annan's trip
to Syria as
Joint Special
Envoy of the
UN and the
League of Arab
States, his
Arab League
deputy Nasser
Al Kidwa
was not
allowed in,
sources told
Inner City
Press on
Tuesday.
"Assad only
accepted Kofi
wearing a UN
hat," a source
said. "Nasser
al Kidwa was
blocked."
Others
have argued
that the
blocking was
by the delay
of paperwork.
Nasser al
Kidwa was
named deputy,
at latest, on
March 7.
A
major Arab
League
Permanent
Representative
acknowledged
to Inner City
Press that
Nasser Al
Kidwa "was not
seen" in
Damascus on
March 10.
Another told
Inner City
Press that
"after Annan
choose [Jean
Marie]
Guehenno as
his deputy,
the Arab
League
rebelled and
pushed for Nasser
Al Kidwa." And
now Syria
blocks Nasser
Al Kidwa - why
name him the
Deputy if he
wouldn't try
and go?
This
would show the
tension
between
Syria's Assad
and the Arab
League, at a
time when some
in the UN
Security
Council say
they will only
accept a
resolution
which calls
for the
"political
transition"
away from
Assad in Arab
League plans.
Even
after speeches
by foreign
ministers at
the UN on
March 12, it
seemed that
countries had
not changed
their
positions but
were only
waiting to see
what Annan can
achieve. While
the UK, as
President of
the Council,
brought up in
a closed door
Council
meeting on
Tuesday
getting a
briefing
quickly from
Annan, the
other side
says Annan
should visit
particular
capitals
before even
thinking of
briefing the
Council.
For
days the UN
spokesman has
refused to
answer Inner
City Press'
question of
who traveled
to Syria with
Kofi Annan,
described as
the Joint
Special Envoy
of the UN and
the League of
Arab States.
This continued
March 12 and
13, even after
UN Department
of Political
Affairs chief
Lynn Pascoe
told Inner
City Press
that Annan's
team included
former UN
envoy to the
Congo Alan
Doss, who left
the UN amid a
nepotism
scandal. From
the UN's
March 13
transcript:
Inner
City
Press: What’s
the
Secretary-General’s
understanding
of how Kofi
Annan upon his
either return
to New York or
from afar will
provide
information,
beyond the
press
availability
that he has
done? As was
said by one of
the foreign
ministers
yesterday,
will he brief
the
Secretary-General,
who will in
turn brief the
General
Assembly? Is
that the
understanding
of how it will
work? And I
want to ask
again if it is
possible to
know who
traveled with
Kofi Annan to
Syria and who
they met with.
Spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky: Yes,
I am aware of
your request
relating to
the last
question. I
think you will
also be aware
that they have
been rather
busy the last
couple of
days. As soon
as we are in a
position to
help you with
that, we will
do. On the
question of
reporting
back, of
course, there
is a
requirement to
report back in
some form to
the Member
States, and I
think that
that is being
considered
right now.
Inner
City
Press: On the
Alan Doss
question, Mr.
Pascoe said he
was going to
go. I asked
him here at a
briefing on
Friday, he is
busy too, I
just wonder,
can you
confirm as
seemed to be
clear from
television
that former UN
official Alan
Doss traveled
to Syria with
Kofi Annan,
and if so --
Spokesperson:
As I say, when
I am in a
position to
help you with
that, I will
do, okay?
Now
the UN's
stonewalling
may be more
understandable
.Watch
this site.
, 
