UN GATE, Nov 26 –For
the FIFA World
Cup that Qatar
paid bribes to
get, it issued
restrictions
on the media
that go to
cover it,
including that
journalists
will not be
allowed to
film or
photograph in
"residential
properties,
private
businesses and
industrial
zones."
Reporting on
the deaths of
migrant
workers is not
permitted.
When the Cup
began on Nov
20, Qatar was
listless
against
Ecuador, and
its "fans"
left early. On
Nov 19,
England blew
out Iran
as the
Netherlands did
Senegal. But
the US was tied
by Wales - and
UN Sec-Gen
Antonio
Guterres slipped
in, even
more quiet
than his visit
to China's
Genocide Games
at the
beginning of
the year. He
said nothing,
and the UN
Correspondents
he lets into
"his" briefing
asked nothing.
On
November 22
Inner City
Press asked
Guterres'
spokespeople
Farhan Haq,
Stephane
Dujarric and
Melissa
Fleming: "Nov
22-1: AGAIN,
On human
rights-challenged
FIFA World Cup
in Qatar, when
did SG
Guterres
decide to go?
Why so little
put out
publicly?
Since SG said
nothing, was
the trip paid
for by him
personally? If
not, how much
did it cost?"
No
answer at all.
In Doha, after
another nil
nil tie
between
Morocco and
Croatia, Japan
upset Germany
2-1. Spain
laid a 7-0
licking on
Costa Rica
(which to its
relative
credit replied
to Inner City
Press), then
Canada of
censoring Bob
Rae was
beaten by
Belgium which
bragged about
Devils
amid Qatar's
corruption.
On
November 24 -
Thanksgiving
Day in the US
- after
another nil
nil between
Uruguay and
South Korea,
Ghana put up
more fight
against the
Portuguese
than they do
against
Guterres at
the UN. Thread
- and Song
II (Twitter)
YouTube
On
November 26,
the Socceroos
beat Tunisia
1-0, then
Poland beat
Saudi Arabia,
the slayers of
Argentina and,
before that,
Jamal
Khashoggi and
many in Yemen.
France or
really Kylian
Mbappe beat
Denmark, then
Argentina beat
a defensive
minded Mexico,
setting up a
win and you're
in against
Poland, or
other
scenarios.
Blood-soaked
hosts lose two
As referee
bribes fall
through-
But own
Guterres.
Qatar
also bans
filming in
“restricted
areas where
filming
requires prior
permission”
and at “any
site with
signage or
security
advising of no
photography/videography."
Some
who are
criticizing
these
restrictions,
however, say
nothing when
the United
Nations does
the same.
Consider the
reasons given
by UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres'
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric for
having Inner
City Press
roughed up and
banned from
the UN, for
three years
and counting,
from CJR:
"access
is not a
right, it’s a
privilege,”
Dujarric says.
“None of this
is happening
now because of
what he
writes.”
Dujarric says
that Lee is
often critical
of fellow
journalists;
walking the
halls in the
evenings,
he’ll
live-stream
running
commentary
criticizing
other
reporters. Not
long ago,
encountering a
crew from Al
Jazeera—which
Lee believes
has misled
viewers about
its connection
to the Qatari
government—Dujarric
says that Lee
Periscoped
while
shouting,
“Fuck you!”
repeatedly.
(Lee says he
was
complaining
that Dujarric
had given the
Al Jazeera
crew a private
interview, and
excluded him.)
“He creates an
atmosphere of
incivility
within our
working
environment,”
Dujarric
says."
So
Inner City
Press is
banned by
MALU's Melissa
Fleming
because it
filmed on the
fourth (media)
floor, and for
what it said?
Or for
criticizing
his and
Guterres'
relations with
Qatar's Al
Jazeera, which
got the
exclusive to
Guterres' two
stolen UNSG
elections?
We'll
have more on
this.
***
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