UN's
Sha Planned Dining Solo with China General, Says Award Was
Surprise
By Matthew Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 4 -- For four days, Inner City Press has asked the UN
about Under Secretary General Sha Zukang having given a “World
Harmony Foundation” award to retired Chinese general Chi Haotian in
Shanghai on in late October, just before Mr. Sha stood with UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the closing of the Shanghai Expo.
Ban's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky told Inner City Press that Sha was “not on leave”
and that the online photograph of the award was the first the UN knew
of Sha's involvement. On November 1, 2 and 3 Nesirky has repeated
that some UN statement might be coming -- without saying anything
more.
On
November 4,
Inner City Press was able to ask Sha Zukang directly about the award
and the controversy. Sha told Inner City Press that “the general
came to know I was in Shanghai” and he invited Sha to dinner.
Sha
canceled his
other plans. “When I was with disarmament we were together, many
years ago,” Sha said of Chi Haotian. “I thought it was he and me
only. Than I saw the group.”
Inner City Press
has previously
covered the World Harmony Foundation trying to parlay
its $110,000 contribution to the 2009 UN Day concert into photos with
Ban Ki-moon.
After Inner
City Press ran several exposes,
the photo
session was canceled. But still Under Secretary General Ibrahim
Gambari appeared for photos with the group, made up of businessmen
and led by Frank Liu, in the Millennium Hotel across First Avenue
from UN Headquarters.
Here,
the result
was a photo of Under Secretary General Sha, general Chi Haotian and
WHF's Frank Liu.
UN's Sha, the General & Frank Liu: no solo dinner shown
“I didn't know
what the award was,” Sha told
Inner City Press on November 4. “That is what happened. I don't
want to issue any clarification.”
Given
the
controversy, one would assume that Ban Ki-moon's office has asked Sha
for an explanation, which is the above. What will happen next? Watch
this site.
* * *
In
UN
Council, Pascoe on Yemen, W.Sahara & Hariri Tribunal,
Non-Members Excluded
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 4 -- “The horizon is broad,” UN Department of
Political Affairs chief Lynn Pascoe told Inner City Press as he left
the Security Council on Thursday morning. Inside behind closed doors,
his briefing to the Security Council's 15 members was supposed to
have not been limited to countries on the Council's agenda.
One
such country
sent a diplomat, who was surprised to be barred from the meeting. “I
thought it would be public,” he told Inner City Press. Another
member of the Council dismissively called it an “exercise,” but
noted that the Council “ is not a gymnasium.”
The
UK, whose
innovation this was, declined through its Permanent Representative to
list which countries had been discussed. Others present told Inner
City Press that Yemen was mentioned, in the context of the Group of
Friends which during the UN General Debate held a meeting, albeit
across the street from the UN.
Whether
the recent
posting of bombs made it more likely Yemen will be post on the
Council's agenda is not known. Yemen still leads the Group of 77 and
China, so any loss of control or sovereignty is unlikely.
Another
delegation
told Inner City Press that Western Sahara was discussed in a less
formal way that usual. Did France speak? No, the delegate recounted,
[Ambassador] Araud just smiled.
Pascoe & Russia's Churkin, closed door exercises not shown
Pascoe
emerged
with Assistant Secretaries General Zerihoun and Tarasco, who rushed
in late. So, Africa and the Middle East. Where were D-2s like Tamrat
Samuel on Asia and Horst Heittmann on the Middle East? The
scuttlebutt on the latter is that his transfer from Security Council
Affairs was meant to keep the Middle East seat under “non-Arab”
control, while another DPA staffer aims for the post Heittmann
vacated.
Pascoe,
according
to a source, urged the Council to go forward with a session on
November 5 about Lebanon, specifically the Hariri Tribunal. On
November 1, Inner City Press was told that the Tribunal would be
discussed on Friday as Any Other Business.
But on
Thursday Ambassador
after Ambassador told the Press to “ask Sir Lyall Grant” of the
UK. Lebanon's Ambassador said he did not want to steal Lyall Grant's
thunder, and would only speak about scheduling or the program of work
when Lebanon regains the Presidency in September.
The
UN Security
Council is so full of secrets, one wonder how it functions. Does it?
Watch this site.
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