Behind UN Afghan Exclusion, Tales of Big Money and the Hand of CIA

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, January 4 -- Questions continue to linger about the UN senior advisor expelled from Afghanistan in late December, Mervyn Patterson. Contrary to explanations provided Friday to Inner City Press, officials in Helmand Province still maintain that Patterson and the European Union's Michael Semple were carrying tens of thousands of dollars; some officials have been quoted that it was U.S. intelligence who fingered Semple and Patterson as paying funds to the Taliban, and suggested they be disciplined. Now it is a stand-off, with Patterson still out of the country.

            On January 3, Inner City Press asked the UN for an update

"Question:  On the UN official that was a persona non grata out of Afghanistan over the holidays, M[ervyn] Patterson, do you have any update on whether he's going to be returned, if efforts are under way to return him?

"Spokesperson:  I don't have any update on that.  We have been trying to get some information.  We don't have it yet.

[The Spokesperson later said that discussions were currently ongoing with the Afghan authorities to rectify this situation.  The Spokesperson added that the UN hoped that this matter would be resolved swiftly to enable its staff member to return and continue the vital work of securing peace, stability and progress for the people of Afghanistan.]

"Question:  I understand the dispute has been whether he's been speaking to the Taliban or not.  Can we get a description of what his function has been for UNAMA?  Because there were a couple of years where he was listed as on leave without pay but he's listed as also working for the UN there.

"Spokesperson:  You know it's part of the United Nations work.  And United Nations officials have a duty to be speaking to all parties.  This is part of our mandate.

"Correspondent:  I know that, absolutely.  But there they’ve denied it.  They've said we do not speak to the Taliban -- full stop.

Spokesperson:  I'm just saying that this is part of his mandate, to be talking to all the parties."

[The Spokesperson later clarified that the staff member in question had been talking to local authorities and community representatives -- not the Taliban.]

  But the Afghan newspaper Rah-e Nejat quoted Helmand Province Governor Asadollah Wafa that he had warned the two expelled foreign diplomats - Mervyn Patterson from Britain and Michael Semple from Ireland - about holding talks with the Taliban in Helmand Province, but they did not pay attention to the warning and held talks with Taliban leaders anyway.

Complexities of Afghanistan

 Later still, on the morning of January 4, the UN provided a written update, subsequently read-out at the day's noon briefing:

"Regarding your question about Mervyn Patterson, I have the following for you from UNAMA: Our negotiations are ongoing to see the return of this very able and capable staff member, so that we can continue with the vital work of building peace, stability and progress for the Afghan people.  We are relieved that the Afghan consultant who was working with us on this visit to Helmand province has now been released by the Afghan authorities without charge. We are pleased that the Governor of Helmand Province has also publicly confirmed that no UNAMA staff member was involved in activities that could be seen to be detrimental, and we welcome the President's recent comments that this incident should not reflect on the vital work that UNAMA does for the Afghan people and their Government."

    Not only are there, in the public record, quotes by Helmand officials to the contrary -- it is also unclear why, if Helmand's Governor Wafa and President Karzai's positions are as the UN describes them, Mr. Patterson is still excluded from the country. Watch this site.

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Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

  Because a number of Inner City Press' UN sources go out of their way to express commitment to serving the poor, and while it should be unnecessary, Inner City Press is compelled to conclude this installment in a necessarily-ongoing series by saluting the stated goals of the UN agencies and many of their staff. Keep those cards, letters and emails coming, and phone calls too, we apologize for any phone tag, but please continue trying, and keep the information flowing.

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