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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NY Post List

UNITED NATIONS GATE, April 17 – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on 27 March 2018 lavished praise on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman now accused with respect to Jamal Khashoggi, accepting a $930 million check from the Saudis and UAE, with not a word of the Saudi led bombing campaign that has killed civilians and caused cholera in Yemen. Now on 17 April 2019, the UN Security Council put out a Press Statement. But what success could the UN have, when its Secretary General continues to have a memorandum of understanding with MBS, and refuses to answer any questions about it, preferring to extend his Saudi-like ban on the Press that asks? See here. Here's the beginning of the UNSC press statement: "The members of the Security Council expressed their grave concern that four months after the agreements reached by the Government of Yemen and the Houthis in Stockholm, those agreements have not yet been implemented. They reiterated their endorsement of the Stockholm Agreement, circulated as document S/2018/1134, and reiterated their call for it to be implemented without delay.     The members of the Security Council underlined their full support for the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and welcomed their tireless efforts to support implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.     The members of the Security Council welcomed the agreement by the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to the Concept of Operations for Phase 1 of redeployments under the Hodeidah Agreement. They called on both parties to engage constructively with the Special Envoy and the Chair of the RCC to swiftly agree on local security force arrangements and the Concept of Operations for Phase 2 of redeployments." Guterres is taking the UN ever lower.On February 7 Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric put out another rosy note on Yemen, no mention of the Saudi and Emirati cover up of bombing MSF's cholera treatment center (then again, Guterres has not paid a penny for the UN killing 10,000 in Haiti with cholera). Now on February 17 this from Guterres' office of the spokesperson: "The members of the Redeployment Coordination Committee met for their fourth joint meeting from 16 to 17 February in Hudaydah city. They made important progress on planning for the redeployment of forces as envisaged in the Hudaydah Agreement.     The Government of Yemen representatives again crossed the frontline in order to attend the meeting for which they should be commended. After lengthy but constructive discussions facilitated by the RCC Chair, the parties reached an agreement on Phase 1 of the mutual redeployment of forces.     The parties also agreed, in principle, on Phase 2 of the mutual redeployment, pending additional consultations within their respective leadership. The next RCC is expected to convene within a week with the aim to finalize an agreement on Phase 2." Unanswered four days later by Guterres' spokesman Stephan Dujarric are questions including this one: "February 13-3: On Saudi Arabia and press freedom, what is the SG's comment and action on that a top Saudi official who was fired after being accused of playing a role in the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues to serve as an informal royal adviser: Saud al-Qahtani, who previously served in effect as the right-hand man to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman? What is the status of the MOU with MBS' MiSK Foundation of the SG's Youth Adviser?" On January 31 the UN Security Council held a meeting on Yemen, but it was closed-door and afterward only pro-Coalition Kuwait spoke on camera.  Guterres himself is no paragon of  transparency and anti-corruption and press freedom. Beyond Guterres' MOU with MBS, his Global Communicator Alison Smale has appointed Maher Nasser, who blocks the Press on Twitter, as chief promoter of the UAE's Expo 2020 Dubai, see Inner City Press exclusive here. Now on February 5, from Guterres' Office of the Spokesperson - not signed by lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric- this: "Houthi and Government of Yemen representatives of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) continued to meet on 4 and 5 February aboard a United Nations vessel berthed in the Port of Hudaydah. The parties have engaged in long and intense discussions both yesterday and today in order to find mutually acceptable solutions and associated timelines for the implementation of the Hudaydah provisions in the Stockholm Agreement. The RCC Chair, General Patrick Cammaert, commended both parties for demonstrating good-will and engaging constructively together to overcome trust issues and to find viable solutions that would eventually demilitarize the ports and city of Hudaydah and facilitate life-saving humanitarian operations.     Weeks of sustained engagement by the RCC Chair and his team are beginning to pay off. Today, the Parties are closer to agreeing modalities for phase one redeployment than they were six weeks ago.  They are grappling with the complexities of disengaging forces in close proximity of each other and the gradual redeployment of heavy weapons, armor, and infantry. The Parties are fully aware of the international spotlight on their efforts to implement the Hudaydah agreement and its implications for the broader peace process for Yemen.     The parties will continue discussions tomorrow under the auspices of Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, who assumed his duties as RCC Chair and Head of UNMHA on the evening of 5 February." Cammaert, who covered up for the UN in South Sudan, is out. On January 29 not Guterres' murky UN but the Saudi Press Agency announced that “The Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his gratitude for the Kingdom’s support in pushing for positive results in the dialogue between the Yemeni parties." Meanwhile, from Washington DC on January 30, the day after Sen Jeff Merkley against raised the Saudis' activities in Oregon, this: "Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) renewed their efforts in the Senate and House Wednesday to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen pursuant to the War Powers Resolution. 

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