On
Syria Chemicals,
OPCW Visits Veolia
in Texas,
Fined for
Violations
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Investigative
follow up
UNITED
NATIONS, May
26 --
The question
of why the
Organization
for the
Prevention of
Chemical
Weapons chose
to dispose of
Syria's
chemical
weapons a
company Veolia
which does
business in
the Occupied
Palestinian
Territories,
first raised
by Inner City
Press on February
15, was
finally put to
Sigrid Kaag on
May 8, 2014.
She told Inner
City Press to
"ask the
OPCW," which
ran the
tender.
Now the OPCW's
report to the
Security
Council, to be
issued as a
document of
the Security
Council under
symbol
S/2014/368
(OPCW
EC-M-42/DG.1)
says "from 30
April to 2
May, a visit
took place in
the United
States at the
Veolia ES
Technical
Solutions,
L.L.C., in
Port Arthur,
Texas,
selected for
the disposal
of Priority 2
inorganic chemicals through the solicitation process conducted by
the OPCW."
But we now
report and link to:
Veolia's Port
Arthur facility
has been fined
$13, 500 by
the Texas
Commission on
Environmental
Quality for
repeated
carbon
monoxide
emission
violations. Click here for
the report,
which cites other
problems with
equipment.
Background:
In the OPCW
tender, 14
companies
submitted
bids. On
February 14
the OPCW told
the press
there were two
winners:
Ekokem
OY AB
(Finland)
Veolia
Environmental
Services
Technical
Solutions, LLC
(U.S.A.)
Veolia stands
accused of
illegal
operations in
the occupied
Palestinian
territories,
including
waste disposal
in the
illegally
occupied
Jordan valley,
North of the
Yafit
settlement;
waste water
treatment in
the illegal
Israeli
settlement of
Modi’in Illit;
bus service to
illegal
settlements
and Jerusalem
Light Rail /
tramway. h/t
In April 2010
the UN Human
Rights Council
declared the
tramway and
its operations
to be illegal
(A/HRC/RES/13/7
of 14 April
2010).
So how did the
OPCW select
Veolia? There
was a one page
press release
sent to the
media, "reported"
(or merely
repeated,
without any of
the above) by
Reuters
and others,
not mentioning
that France,
where Veolia
is actually
headquartered
at the parent
level, had
contributed no
money at all
to the OPCW or
UN trust funds
on destroying
Syria's
chemical
weapons.
On
transparency
back on
February 6,
after OPCW-UN
mission chief
Sigrid Kaag
briefed the UN
Security
Council about
Syria chemical
weapons, Inner
City Press
asked her
about her
Mission's
trust funds, as it
did back on
January 8.
Inner City
Press noted
that the
Organization
for the
Prevention of
Chemical
Weapons put
online a
January 24
press release
about Canada
donated 10
million CAD,
but that it
had no link to
any over-all
chart.
Kaag said, "I
knew you'd ask
that," and
said it should
go online
soon. Video here and embedded
below.
After 6 pm,
Inner City
Press ran an
update with
the chart,
which shows
for example
that to the UN
Trust Fund,
Japan has
pledged $9
million -- but
has as of yet
provided no
money.
In terms of
cash, Kaag's
native
Netherlands
has provided
more (barely)
that the
United
States:
$2,062,500
versus $2
million from
the US.
The
OPCW Trust
Fund for Syria
is denominated
in Euros. The
European Union
is the largest
donor, and
several EU
members have
also
contributed in
their own name
- but not
France.
A separate
OPCW Syria
Trust Fund for
the
Destruction of
Chemical
Weapons has
more in unpaid
pledges then
monies
actually paid.
Among those
yet to come
through are
once again
Japan, the
aforementioned
Canada, the
EU, Australia,
India, Italy
and South
Korea.
There is the
maritime
component (see
chart)
and then this:
In
addition to
their
contribution
to the OPCW
trust fund for
the
Destruction of
Chemical
Weapons,
Canada
contributed
another CAD 5
million
(almost US$
4.7 million)
for the
destruction
operations on
board the
vessel MV Cape
Ray. Italy has
indicated that
the port of
Gioia Tauro
will be made
available for
transloading
of priority
chemicals from
the cargo
vessels onto
the MV Cape
Ray. Germany
has indicated
it will
dispose of
approximately
370 tons of
effluent
generated
through the
hydrolysis of
the priority
chemicals. The
United Kingdom
has indicated
that it will
destroy two
binary
chemical
weapon
components at
a commercial
facility.
And so the
only Permanent
Five member of
the Security
Council not to
contribute...
is France.
Inner
City Press
continues to
await from the
UN a response
to repeated
questions
submitted
about the
Joint
Mission's
chief of staff
Abdullah
Fadil. Sources
say he has
asked UNTSO,
where he
worked before
the Joint
Mission, to
respond in
some way.
But the Office
of the
Spokesperson
for the
Secretary
General, which
has had these
questions in
writing since
before
Christmas
2013, has
provided no
answers at
all. And there
are more
questions
ready,
particularly
in light of a
motion for
disclosure to
force the SG
represented by
ALS to give us
access to the
reports of
OIOS, the
Ombudsman
Office and CDU
that has been
filed in the
UN Dispute
Tribunal.
For
now, consider
the issued
raised, below
and in this
unresponded to
follow up
question:
"As
a
follow up to
the
not-answered
[earlier
question, see
below], please
confirm or
deny that
Michael
Antoine has
also
transferred
from UNTSO to
the UN-OPCW
joint mission
on chemical
weapons in
Syria, but
that he is in
Cyprus; please
explain his
duties to jump
from FS4 to
FS6; please
describe the
Joint
Mission's
interview and
recruitment
practices."
This question
has not been
answered; a
question Inner
City Press
submitted
about the
tension
between South
Korea and
Japan,
including in
South Sudan,
caused by
Japan's prime
minister's
visit to a
shrine for the
country's
World War Two
dead was answered
in a statement
apparently
given to other
media, on a
regional or
political
basis, 13
hours before
today's
"first" Note
to
Correspondents.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access is
challenging
these
practices.
Previously
Inner City
Press had
asked, without
answer:
"Please
confirm
or deny that
Abdullah Fadil
is with the
UN-OPCW joint
mission on
chemical
weapons in
Syria, that
while at UNTSO
he managed to
have Ministry
of Foreign
Affairs cards
from both
Israel and
Lebanon, and
separately
that he is
under
investigation
by OIOS and/or
other UN
bodies for
recruitment
irregularities
and SEA."
Five
days later the
question has
not even been
acknowledged,
much less
answered.
Questions submitted
and
re-submitted
to Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's top
two
spokespeople
on the morning
of December
21, about
civilians at
risk, have
not been
acknowledged.
By
stonewalling,
and by the
practices
described in
the below,
which are
evident
elsewhere and
to the very
top of the UN
system, the UN
credibility is
being damaged.
At least
questions
should be
answered.
While we have
more, here's
from the
underlying
whistleblower's
initial
complaint
giving rise to
the question,
about the
current chief
of staff of UN
- OPCW mission
for
Prohibition of
Chemical
Weapons in
Syria:
I am
an avid reader
of the Inner
City Press. My
numerous
Missions with
the UN can
confirm what
your many
articles
state: rampant
corruption,
nepotism, and
recruitment
manipulation
at all levels
in the UN.
Sadly, this
conduct is
only
increasing.
Within the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
(DPKO) it is
not "what you
know" but it’s
"who you
know." There
is an absolute
absence of
accountability.
It is often
said that
nobody gets
fired unless
you are a
whistle-blower
or suspected
of bringing
the UN into
disrepute by
exposing
corruption;
usually after
becoming
exasperated
trying to deal
with it via
due process.
After speaking
to many staff
members, I am
compelled to
report a
matter that
concerns me.
The mission/UN
is failing to
take action
and I feel
that it is
time that
external
scrutiny is
required.
1. Mr.
Abdullah
Fadil, a
Somali (now
Canadian), is
a member of
the UNTSO
Mission in
Israel. He is
an
international
staff Member
at the level
of Director
(D1) and
occupies the
position of
Chief Mission
Support (CMS).
He is the most
senior
civilian in
the mission.
As CMS he has
control over
all
administrative
functions,
most notably,
finance,
procurement,
and
recruitment.
He previously
held similar
positions in
Kosovo,
Khartoum and
Darfur... He
is well known
in the DPKO
system and
there are
numerous
allegations
against Mr.
Fadil
presently
being
investigated
by the Office
of Internal
Oversight
(OIOS),
Ombudsman
Office, and
the Complaints
and Discipline
Unite (CDU).
These
allegations
range from
sexual
harassment,
Sexual
Exploitation
and Abuse
(SEA), to
manipulating
recruiting to
allow friends
(internally)
and externally
to jump
recruitment
rosters. This
includes
managing
recruiting
panels and
overseeing the
selection
process.
All
UNTSO staff
recruited in
the UNTSO
Mission in the
three years he
has been the
CMS are either
former
girlfriends,
absolute loyal
friends from
former
missions, or
family
members. The
method of
control is to
provide the
Chief
Personnel
Officer (CPO)
with his
handpicked
short list
along with a
verbal
directive as
to whom he
wished to be
selected. This
practice
tended to
exclude
competent
staff as he
put loyalty to
himself as the
primary
selection
criteria. This
allowed him to
have a
foundation of
very loyal
staff that he
could rely
upon. Senior
managers
within the
mission could
not recruit
competent
staff.
Managers who
voiced their
concern were
either moved
sideways or
resigned.
4. Due
to these many
complaints he
was asked to
take a
temporary
assignment to
Syria (OPCW)
to reduce the
level of
discontent in
the mission.
5. The
allegations
include
obstructing an
investigation
by the Special
Investigation
Unit (SIU)
into the
fraudulent use
of tax free PX
fuel cards
(Israel) by
national staff
and some
international
staff. His
obstruction
included
briefing the
suspect prior
to being
interviewed by
investigators.
His intent was
cover up the
extent of the
fraud by
International
Staff
(friends) who
had aided and
abetted the
fraud. This
allegation
also included
misuse of duty
free products
(alcohol) to
pay rent in
disputed
territories.
6. A
most egregious
act that must
be
investigated,
and which
should result
in his
termination
from the UN,
is the
fraudulent
acquisition of
a MOFA card
from the
government of
Lebanon. The
circumstances
are that Mr.
Fadil is
located in
Jerusalem and
holds a valid
Israeli
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs (MOFA)
card which
grants him
residency in
Israel. To
qualify for
this status,
one is
required to
reside/hold
residency in
that country
due to one’s
UN official
status. The
process
requires that
one file a
signed request
to the Host
Government for
a MOFA card as
an official of
the United
Nations. The
signature
verifies the
accuracy of
the document
and
information
provided. One
must include
an address, UN
letter of
appointment,
and
photographs.
The MOFA card
grants certain
privileges and
benefits as a
member of the
UN.
In
addition to
the Israeli
MOFA card
provided to
Mr. Fadil by
the Israeli
Government, he
was recently
found to have
a MOFA card
from the
Government of
Lebanon.
Inquiries
confirm that
two years ago
he
fraudulently
applied for
MOFA status in
Lebanon
stating that
he was a
resident in
Lebanon. This
is not true as
he and family
reside in
Jerusalem. He
has also
misrepresented
himself to the
Israel
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs.
Mr.
Fadil has been
using that
same Lebanese
MOFA card in
Lebanon to
obtain
benefits. In
short, he has
two MOFA
cards; one for
Israel and one
Lebanon. When
this fraud
becomes known
to the
governments of
Israel and
Lebanon they
might apply a
high level of
scrutiny to
new legitimate
applicants.
This could
have a
significant
impact on UN
staff members
and UNMOs
applying for
MOFA cards
within Lebanon
and Israel. He
has placed us
all at
disadvantage
by giving both
governments
cause to delay
and further
investigate
applications.
He has placed
the UN in a
difficult
position.
Hence the
cover up.
We
will have
more. There
are a number
of other Press
questions
long-pending
in Ban
Ki-moon's
Office of the
Spokesperson,
never
responded to,
stonewalled.
Watch this
site.
* * *
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reports
are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click here
for Sept 26, 2011 New Yorker on Inner City
Press at UN
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for
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