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UN
Powder was Non Dairy Creamer Brought In, Sources Say, UN Bar to Re-Open
in 2 Weeks, Reception Review
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 22 -- With the UN's cafeteria re-opened on February
22 after a two day
scare caused by the find of an "unidentified
powder" on the conveyor belt to the dish washing room, Inner
City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky what the powder was.
Nesirky said he didn't know.
A
well placed
source tells Inner City Press that the powder was, in fact, non dairy
creamer, shaken out into an envelope. Since the UN's cafeteria does
not serve non dairy creamer, this means a person brought the powder
in. The source surmises this more likely makes the incident
intentional.
UN's Ban in cafeteria, non dairy creamer not shown
In
other UN food
or beverage news, Inner City Press is informed that the re-opening of
the UN's Delegates' Lounge bar may be in as little as two weeks. The
physical bar has been ordered. It will be on the second floor of the
North Lawn Temporary Building, facing the river.
On
February 19,
beer was for the first time served in the new building. The occasion
was a Japanese comedy put on by Japan's mission to the UN.
Afterwards, there were noodles and chicken and shrimp, and more
Saporo beer than anyone could drink.
In
fact, some who
had attended another event, a film about endangered languages,
venture down to the first floor for the Saporo spread. Anyone in the
UN could go. Good relations for Japan, to be sure.
* * *
UN
Downplays Found Powder as Non-Toxic, Keeps Cafeteria Closed for 2nd
Day
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, Feb 19, update 2:30 pm -- Seventeen hours after an
envelope with an
unidentified white powder was found in its cafeteria, the UN
announced that "initial preliminary results indicate the
substance... is a non-toxic, non-organic substance."
Still,
UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a 7:20 a.m. e-mail, the
cafeteria will remain closed today."
As
of 9 p.m.
on Thursday, when Inner City Press last filed
on this developing
story, staff from the UN's food contractor Aramark had been told to
come in to work on Friday. A broadcast e-mail to the UN's own staff
said that the "host country" had taken the substance for
testing.
Apparently,
someone decided between 9 p.m. and 7:20 a.m. both to issue a
statement downplaying the threat, but also deciding to keep the UN
cafeteria and Delegates Dining Room closed.
UN's Ban and spokesman Nesirky, cafeteria and powder
not shown
The
response
can be contrasted to when an unidentified substance was found in a
soda can in the closed down offices of the UN mission to search for
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Then, the UN did not tell the
host country until news leaked out, and faced criticism for
potentially putting New Yorkers at risk.
By
contrast,
the UN nearly immediately said on February 18 it had "alerted
the host country." Some wondered, did this mean hundreds of
millions of people? A mobile lab drove in, and drove out. When will
results be released? Watch this site.
Update
of Feb. 19, 2:30 p.m. -- after asking US Ambassador Susan Rice some
questions, Inner City Press asked Associate UN spokesperson Farhan Haq
at Friday's noon briefing when the results of the testing of the powder
would be known. When they are available, he said.
At 2:30 p.m., Haq said that the FBI's preliminary results
are negative, and that confirmatory testing continues and mostly likely
will be completed by Monday. For now, a little table has been set up in
the UN lobby, turkey sandwiches for $5. Of the coup in Niger, nothing's
been said....
* * *
As
Powder Removed from UN for Tests, Cafeteria on Hold, Iran
Celebrates, US Not Seen
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 18 -- Six hours after the UN
shuttered its
cafeteria after a suspicious white powder was found in an envelope
on
the conveyor belt to the dish washer, the powder was removed from the
UN by authorities in New York for further testing.
While
employees of
the UN's contractor Aramark were told to come in Friday morning, an
e-mail to UN staff said that no decision about re-opening the
cafeteria would be made until further tests were conducted.
New
York
authorities bought a mobile laboratory into the UN's third
sub-basement. The envelope was brought to the laboratory.
Upstairs
in what
had been the UN's Delegates' Dining Room three receptions were being
held. Iran's mission to the UN offered smoked salmon, hummus and soda
to celebrate the "31st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic
Revolution." Correspondents, some of them like Inner City Press
hungry from the closure of the cafeteria, milled around with
Ambassadors.
At
Iran's event,
there was an informal women's section, with scarved women chatted and
took photos with each other. A U.S. diplomat told Inner City Press,
"You didn't see me here, I'm upstairs for the Council of Caring
Communities event." The U.S., it seems, did not want to be
associated with the Iranian event.
UN's Ban and Ahmadinejad previously at UN, US not seen
Inner City
Press chatted with
Georgia's Ambassador, who noted that the UN has yet to replace the
chief of its dwindling mission in Georgia, or Abkhazia.
Sri
Lanka's
Ambassador spoke at length with Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff Vijay
Nambiar. Afterwards, the Ambassador told Inner City Press that his
country wants to be taken off the Children and Armed Conflict list,
"since there is no more armed conflict." He said that the
recruiter of children most recently named by the UN "does not
exist."
Next
door
Venezuela threw a party, complete with white wine. A UN Security
office explained to Inner City Press that the response to the powder
was acceptable, adding that "maybe it was drugs." Watch
this site.
* * *
At
UN, "White Powder" Find Forces Cafeteria Lock Down
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 18 -- The UN's cafeteria has been shut down after
an envelope with an unidentified white powder was found on the
conveyor belt to the dishwasher, cafeteria sources tell Inner City
Press.
As
of 3 p.m., the lobby of UN headquarters was full of cafeteria workers
and UN security officers. The cafeteria was being "locked down,"
a representative of the UN's contactor Aramark announced. UN Security
told this reporter to leave the area. A cameraman was told not to film.
On the UN campus for a 4 pm
meeting and 4:45 pm press stakeout is former US President Bill Clinton.
Meanwhile, several close observers present noted the lack of NYPD on
the scene.
The
UN sent this out:
BROADCAST
MESSAGE
Temporary Closure of Staff Cafeteria Re Suspicious
Substance
The Security and Safety Service is investigating the
presence of a suspicious substance in the Staff Cafeteria. Host
country authorities have been alerted, and are assisting. Access to
the Cafeteria will be restricted while the matter is being resolved.
You will be kept updated as more information becomes
available. The Service appreciates your continued support and
cooperation.
Update of 3:41 p.m. -- Despite the line
that the "host country authorities have been alerted and are
assisting," those in the UN lobby have yet to see any NYPD...
Update of 4:19 p.m. -- told by a source
to go and check the basement, Inner City Press witnessed the entrance
into the lower floor of the cafeteria of NYPD Emergency Service Unit.
Aramark workers have been told that the cafeteria, which was scheduled
to remain open to 7:30 p.m., will not re-open today. Officious suits
milling around in lobby. An NYPD with "Anti-terrorism" jacket on.
UN cafeteria staff mill in lobby, white powder not shown
This
follows an incident in which white power was found in the
journalists' mailbox area, and where a KFC Colonel Sanders
impersonator was allowed in to meet the President of the General
Assembly Ali Treki. For the later incident, UN Security officer Ralph
Hering is still suspended -- a scapegoat, well informed sources say.
The
UN cafeteria was closed for the month of January as it was lightly
renovated to accommodate the Delegates' Dining Room, being moved down
from the vacated fourth floor of the UN. What the powder was, and if
dangerous who was exposed to it, is still not known. Watch this site.
Click
here
for an Inner City Press YouTube channel video, mostly UN Headquarters
footage, about civilian
deaths
in Sri Lanka.
Click here for Inner City
Press' March 27 UN debate
Click here for Inner City
Press March 12 UN (and AIG
bailout) debate
Click here for Inner City
Press' Feb 26 UN debate
Click
here
for Feb.
12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56
Click here for Inner City Press' Jan.
16, 2009 debate about Gaza
Click here for Inner City Press'
review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here for Inner
City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These
reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
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
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
UN
Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017
USA
Tel: 212-963-1439
Reporter's
mobile (and
weekends):
718-716-3540
Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright
2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
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