On
Yemen, ICP
Asks Venezuela
PR of
Air Strikes
& Secrecy,
OCHA on Feb 17
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 2 --
The UN
Secretariat's
bungling of
Yemen
mediation has
become ever
more clear,
according to
multiple
sources and
documents
exclusively
seen by Inner
City Press,
see below.
On
February 1
Inner City
Press asked
incoming
President of
the Security
Council Rafael
Ramirez of
Venezuela
about Yemen. Video here. As transcribed by InnerCityPro.com:
Matthew
Lee, Inner
City Press. On
behalf of the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access, we are
hoping you
will do
question and
answer
stakeouts
after Security
Council
consultations...
On Yemen –
there’s a lot
of talks about
the Syrian
peace talks.
On Yemen we
hear a lot
less. What’s
your
understanding
of the status
of the envoy,
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
bringing the
parties
together? Do
you think the
report on
possible war
crimes by the
Saudi-led
coalition
airstrikes
will be taken
up at any
point by the
Council? And
do you think
that the US,
UK, others
that are
assisting that
coalition – is
there enough
oversight of
the civilian
harm that’s
taking place
in the air
campaign on
Yemen?
Amb Ramirez:
Thank you.
Before
anything else,
I hope as
president of
the Security
Council to
interact with
the press,
because each
time we come
out of a
meeting of the
Security
Council ,
there’s a
healthy
practice,
we’ve always
done it that
way so we’ll
do what’s
possible
without taking
too much time.
On
Yemen, in my
capacity as
president of
the Security
Council
I can say that
all Security
Council
members are
closely
following the
events which
have been
escalating and
have been
affecting the
civilian
population,
which finds
itself in an
awful
situation, in
the bombing
campaign and
the action on
the ground of
the two
parties to the
conflict.
It’s
our hope that
Mr. Ahmed,
when he gives
the briefing,
will give a
better picture
of what’s
happening
there. As
president of
the Security
Council I
can’t say in
advance what
the positions
will be of the
various
members fo the
Security
Council. This
will be in
closed
consultations.
But I
can say that
there is a
growing
concern on
this question,
and what you
say, that the
issue of Syria
is being dealt
with in a
constant basis
and the issue
of Yemen not,
is not the
case with
Yemen, this is
something that
we have
raised. There
is a lack of
balance in
terms of the
way the
Security
Council deals
with some
issues.
Sometimes some
issues are
pushed forward
for political
notice, and
therefore
they’re high
on the agenda,
they’re always
discussed, and
then there are
others which
are on the
back burner,
which
are reserved.
So
today we
proposed that
in the Yemen
briefing the
consultations
on Yemen
should be in
the form of a
briefing, so
that we can
hear about the
situation from
the Special
Envoy of the
Secretary
General, and
that everybody
can hear, and
we can get a
picture of the
situation over
there, what’s
the actual
situation, and
Mr. O’Brien,
we’re also
asking that he
should take
part in that
briefing, so
on behalf of
OCHA he would
be able to
explain what
the situation
is, what is
the
humanitarian
situation in
Yemen.
On
January 27,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, transcript here:
Inner
City Press: on
Yemen, on this
recommendation
for a
commission of
inquiry into
war crimes,
has the, has
envoy... I've
been looking
at his Twitter
feed, but has
the envoy,
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
does he have
any response
to this report
of, you know,
dozens of war
crimes
[inaudible]?
Note: the
reference was
to Saudi
airstrikes --
a/k/a
inaudible, at
the UN.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Whether it's
the Special
Envoy or the
Secretary-General,
I think
they've all
been calling
for any crimes
against
humanity, any
violation of
international
law to be
fully
investigated.
Back
on January 19,
Inner City
Press asked
Uruguay's Vice
Minister for
Foreign
Affairs Jose
Luis Cancela,
chairing the
day's Security
Council debate
on Protection
of Civilians,
if the Council
does enough to
protect
civilians in
Yemen,
including
monitoring the
effects of
airstrikes by
the Saudi-led
coalition. Video here.
Cancela
diplomatically
replied that
he was not
there to
comment on
specific
countries --
inside the
Council, there
was much talk
of Syria, a
smattering on
Burundi -- but
turned the
question
toward not
hitting
schools and
hospitals,
both of which
have happened
in Yemen.
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to on
Yemen ask you,
there's been
this pretty
extensively
reported
airstrike by
the coalition
in Sana’a on a
police station
that's
apparently
killed 25
people.
And also IRIN,
previously a
UN affiliate,
has said that
one of its
journalists
was killed in
an
airstrike.
And I wanted
to know, does
the UN… can
they confirm
particularly
the death of
the journalist
Almigdad
Mojalli and do
they have any
comment on it?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq: We
don't have the
confirmation
that we can
provide, but
certainly we
would be
concerned
about the
killing of any
journalist.
We're aware of
the media
reports in
this case.
So, nothing on
the airstrike
on the police
station, and
non-acceptance,
it seems, of
even the
statement by
Voice of
America, which
has also written
to the UN
against the
Press.
What's wrong
with the UN?
Now
that the
Houthis and
the GPC have
both said they
won't
participate in
any more talks
facilitated by
the UN's
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
-- who insists
on retweeting
praise about
himself after
skipping any
public Q&A
at the UN --
Inner City
Press on
December 28
asked the UN's
lead spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric: "On
Yemen, what is
Ban Ki-moon's
or Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed's
response to
Saleh saying
GPC will only
negotiate
directly with
Saudi Arabia,
and seeming
rejection of
the
UN-faciliated
talks?"
Dujarric
replied at 2
pm on December
28 to another
question,
partial (on
Burundi) then
added: "On the
other issues,
if we have an
update to
share with
you, we will."
So
on Yemen, as
usual, there
is no UN
response.
In the
talks in
Switzerland,
despite the
happy-talk Note to
Correspondents
issued on
December 20,
UN envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was repeatedly
accused of
merely
operating “for
the Saudis,”
while the
Saudi-led
coalition took
more military
action.
Inner
City Press
intended to
put the
question
directly to
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
after UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq at
the December
22 noon
briefing said
he would be
speaking at
the Security
Council
stakeout after
briefing the
Security
Council.
But after the
Council
meeting, in
which High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights Zeid al
Hussein said
that of harm
to schools and
hospitals, "a
disproportionate
amount
appeared to be
the result of
airstrikes
carried out by
Coalition
Forces" --
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
did not as
promised
appear at the
stakeout.
Last
time he was at
UN
Headquarters,
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
took only
three
questions at
the stakeout,
then went
upstairs to
the clubhouse
of UNCA, now
the UN
Corruption
Association
after selling
seats with Ban
Ki-moon for
$6000 and did
an interview
with the same
pro-Saudi /
GCC media.
So
where did
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
go this time?
Watch this
site.
Inner City
Press on
December 20
reported that
the
UN-facilitated
talks have
been such a
failure that
there is
already a
clamor to
replace Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed. Sources
exclusively
tell Inner
City Press
that among the
names being
mulled is
Germany's
Bettina
Muscheidt, the
European
Union's
Ambassador to
Yemen.
UN
insiders point
to Germany
having lost a
UN post when
Kim Won-soo
replaced
Angela Kane as
Under
Secretary
General for
Disarmament
Affairs. Achim
Steiner was
passed over
for the UN
High
Commissioner
for Refugees
post, in favor
of Italy's
Grandi.
Germany
already "got"
Libya with
Martin Kobler
- why not
Yemen too?
Previously:
Inner City
Press obtained
UN envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed's
documents for
the delayed
talks in
Switzerland,
and
exclusively put
them online
here.
Envoy
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed proposed
that each side
have six
delegates and
six advisers;
on December 7
the UN
announced
eight
"negotiators"
and four
advisers on
each side.
Hadi announced
a seven day
ceasefire,
December 15 to
December 21,
or at least
that he'd
"informed the
leadership of
the Coalition
of our
intention to
cease-fire."
That would be
Saudi Arabia,
where now
Syria armed
rebel groups
are meeting.
Hadi as
teacher's pet.
The
UN on December
7 said, "The
UN Secretary
General's
Special Envoy
for Yemen
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
will convene
Yemeni
stakeholders
in Switzerland
on December 15
for a series
of face to
face
consultations."
According
to IOCA's
ground rules
published by
Inner City
Press, there
will be no
press access,
other than
photographs
with the
Special Envoy
at the start.
Delegates
shall not use
social media.
Only the
Special
Adviser can
speak
publicly, and
he is supposed
to be seen has
neutral. There
are “Ground
Rules,” also
put online by
Inner City
Press here.
The
ground rules
include that
the
delegations
should not
speak with the
media, or use
social media.
On December 4,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about these
proposals: are
they normal
for the UN?
Haq said he
would not
comment on
leaks. Video
here.
Back
on November
10, while
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon was on
the next to
last day of
his trip to
Saudi Arabia
to discussed
among other
things Yemen,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric to
confirm that
envoy Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed is not
even IN Saudi
Arabia with
Ban.
Dujarric
confirmed that
he is not
there, but
would not
confirm that
he is in his
native
Mauritania, to
which Inner
City Press is
informed he
flew on the
UN's dime, for
a vacation,
signed off on
by the top of
the Department
of Political
Affairs.
Inner
City Press has
reported from
sources dates
on which the
UN's envoy
went to Dubai,
purpose
UNknown. Given
his follow UN
enovy
Bernardino
Leon's deal
with the UAE,
this must now
be explained
and acted on
by the UN.
Inner
City Press previously
reported
on and
published the
Houthis'
letter denouncing
UN envoy Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
as little more
than a Saudi
tool. Now it's
gotten worse:
even Kenny
Gluck who
works for the
envoy and went
to Muscat
trying to meet
the Houthis
was unable. He
waited then
returned to
Riyadh.
The envoy,
meanwhile, is
said by those
who know him
to not only be
“laughably”
cheap --
putting in for
reimbursement
for an eight
dollar taxi
ride from the
UN to a
Mission on
67th Street,
for example --
but also still
involved in
the same
business for
which Inner
City Press
previously
dubbed him
“the
Fisherman” or
the “Fishy
Envoy.”
He has
traveled on
the UN's funds
to Dubai,
claiming he
would meet the
Houthis there.
Not only will
the Houthis
not meet with
him -- even if
they would,
they would not
be found in
Dubai, given
that the UAE
is part of the
coalition. In
any event, Abu
Dhabi is the
capital, not
Dubai. There
is
something...
fishy.
Now we can
report what UN
sources say
are dates of
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed's
travel to
Dubai: May 11;
June 3 and
June 5; August
1 and August
4; September
12-15; October
9-11; October
26; November
4; and
prospectively
November 10
and November
12.
What
are Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed's trips
to Dubai for?
Given the
UAE's offer to
UN Envoy
Bernarndino
Leon, while he
was UN Envoy
to Libya, this
question must
be answered.
On October
26 Inner
City Press reported
that its
sources
exclusively
told it of
a new low,
that the UN
brought into
Sana'a what
the Houthis
call two
members of US
intelligence,
with the cover
identification
that they work
for the
company
running the
former hotel
now occupied
by the UN.
But, the
sources say,
security in
Sana'a
recognized the
two and they
are now
detained.
On October 30,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it, video
here, transcript here
and below.
Dujarric
acknowledged
he knew about
two
"contractors."
Inner
City Press: I
understand
you're making
this
distinction
that the
people flown,
you know,
worked for a
contractor
that maintains
the
building.
Obviously,
you're… I
mean, the
allegation by
those
detaining them
is they were
previously
with US
intelligence.
So, I'm
wondering, is
it… given that
the building
used to be
occupied by
the US
Embassy, what
is the
company?
What is the
name of the
company that
maintains the
building?
Spokesman:
It's called
DTF… no.
You know
what? I
don't have the
name of the… I
don't have the
name of the
company.
Inner City
Press:
Seems like you
probably… can
you…?
Spokesman:
No, I don't
know about it.
Inner City
Press:
You're flying
them.
Spokesman:
I'm not flying
them.
I'll see what
I can do.
Inner City
Press: I
read somewhere
that… that the
UN is trying
to get…
seeking the
release
through the
DSG [Deputy
Secretary-General].
Is that the
case?
Spokesman:
You know, the…
whichever
channels we
use are UN
channels.
I'm not going
to go into any
of the
details.
Inner City
Press:
Right, but
there have
been…
okay.
Here's a more
sort of
generic one on
this day of
protection of
journalists.
There was this
Manama
conference in…
to which the
envoy
apparently
attended,
because he did
some speaking
there.
And it turns
out that the
acting Foreign
Minister of
Yemen, Mr.
Yassin, had
two,
“respected
Yemeni
analysts”
asked to
leave, calling
them Houthis,
which they, in
fact,
aren't.
It seems, to
many people
who follow
Yemen, this is
kind of an
embarrassment
that people
were ejected
from a
conference,
and it showed
a lack… and I
wanted to
know, did the
envoy… maybe
he didn't say
anything that
I'm aware
of. But,
can you check
with the envoy
whether he had
any view of
whether it is
positive for
the process to
have people
ejected from
this
conference?
Spokesman:
"I don't have
any facts
about this
conference.
If I have
facts, I will
share them
with you."
Meanwhile
on November 2
the US
Statement
Department was
referring
questions to
this
UNresponsive
UN: "We’re
aware of those
reports. Due
to privacy
considerations,
I’m not going
to comment on
them...
I would direct
your questions
to the UN."
After Inner
City Press'
October 26
report and
October 30
noon briefing
questions, on
October 31
Reuters "reported"
a piece citing
an unnamed UN
spokesperson
about two
"contractors,"
with no
mention of the
Houthis claim
they work with
US
intelligence,
which by now
had also been
reported,
along with
Inner City
Press' October
30 Q&A
with Dujarric,
by Al-Akhbar.
But it's
worse. Reuters
initially
(mis) reported
that "'Two
contractors
have been
detained and
the Deputy
Secretary-General
(Jan Eliasson)
is looking
into it,' a
U.N. spokesman
said without
elaborating or
confirming if
the two were
American
citizens."
Then a day
after that,
Reuters blamed
the UN for its
correction to
"'Two
contractors
have been
detained and
DSS
(Department of
Safety and
Security) is
looking into
it,' said a
U.N.
spokesman."
Meanwhile the
Houthis are
denouncing UN
envoy Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmad and his
(mis)
representation
to the
Security
Council
regarding what
they agreed
to. This has
happened
before and the
goal seems to
be delay to
allow for more
air strikes.
There's work
of
mercenaries,
in essence,
including from
Colombia in
Aden, joining
the troops
from
ICC-indicted
Sudan.
A
new level of
dysfunction
was hit with
the deployment
in Aden of
hundreds of
troops from
Sudan, putting
ICC-indicted
Omar al-Bashir
on the same
side as the US
and UK. (Inner
City Press is
exclusively
informed that
"UN" envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
is working on
a similar
Saudi deal
with his
native
Mauritania,
see below.)
Now
Inner City
Press is
reliably and
exclusively
informed of a
letter,
drafted by
Saudi Arabia
and conveyed
to UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon by
envoy Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed, which
has Ban
thanking Hadi
and stating
that the
Houthis have
agreed without
reservation to
implementing
UN Security
Council
Resolution
2216.
They have not
- this is just
another
misleading
move by the
envoy, not a
third strike
but a fourth.
But more
fundamentally,
why would Ban
Ki-moon even
consider
signing a
letter that
was drafted by
Saudi Arabia?
Ban's Deputy
Secretary
General Jan
Eliasson,
arguably
undermining
the envoy,
recently
traveled to
Saudi Arabia
and then Iran.
Inner City
Press is
reliably and
exclusively
informed that
the Saudis
snubbed
Eliasson,
denying
several of his
meeting
requests and
finally
providing him
only with the
Foreign
Minister, just
before he
left. In Iran,
complaints
against envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
were lodged,
that he does
not have the
trust of the
Houthis. What
kind of envoy
is this? What
kind of UN?
After the UN
Security
Council's
praise of
talks
ostensibly
committed to
UN envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was not
updated after
Hadi canceled
participation
in the talks,
then the Saudi
led coalition
bombed Oman's
Ambassador's
house in
Sana'a.
The Saudi
Mission to the
UN, doling
out
information
selectively as
always,
tweeted a photo of a
meeting
between its
Ambassador and
the deputy
ambassadors of
Security
Council
members the UK
and US, of the
EU - and UN
humanitarian
deputy
Kyung-hwa
Kang. What did
Kyung-hwa
Kang, if not
the
Ambassadors,
say about the
airstrikes?
The UN's envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
after
complaining
about his
leaked email
showing his
marginalization
from Yemen
talks, that
Hadi had
committed to
come to talks.
The Security
Council
praised him in
a Press
statement.
Then Hadi
canceled. It
is similar to
the UN's
ceasefire-that-wasn't,
and the failed
"talks" in
Geneva in
which the UN
never gave the
Houthis passes
to get into
the UN
building,
after allowing
them to be
delayed along
the way so
that Ban never
met them
(while meeting
with an
individual on
the US Al
Qaeda
sanctions
list.)
In many
contexts it's
"three strikes
and you're
out," in this
case faux
ceasefire and
two talks that
never
happened. But
the Security
Council has
not updated
its Press
Statement of
praise; some
members
apparently
simply work
around the UN
envoy. We'll
have more on
this.
On September 5
as airstrikes
on Sana'a
picked up
force, there
was no comment
from the UN or
its envoy
Ismail Ould
Cheihk Ahmed.
Nor on
September 6.
On September
7, the UN
finally spoke
-- not about
the airstrikes
but about a
leak.
On September
8, Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujrarric if
he was denying
the veracity
of the UN
email Inner
City Press
published,
below.
Dujarric did
not deny it. Video here. Inner City Press on
September 9
asked
Dujarric's
deputy, below,
on September 9
about Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed.
Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported the
following: on
August 27-28
in Muscat, the
US and UK, the
EU Ambassador
to the UN and
Saudi
intelligence,
met with the
Houthis --
without the UN
and its envoy
present, or
even sources
say aware of
the meeting.
These sources
say that the
UN's Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed was on
vacation in
his native
Mauritania,
and was
entirely out
of the loop.
On September
10, Inner City
Press asked UK
Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft if the
UK had met
with the
Houthis and
GPC in Muscat,
without the UN
Envoy present.
Video
here.
Meanwhile
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
says the same
parties will
now meet with
him. Replay?
On September
9, Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq, video here, transcript
here.
The September
10 briefing by
this envoy to
the UNSC was
requested by
the UK -
which, it
seems, met
with the
Houthis
without Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed.
Sources also
note to Inner
City Press
that the Saudi
have "dissed"
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
relegating him
only to
meeting with
Saudi
intelligence,
not diplomats
as was
previously the
case with the
UN. This too
is
embarrassing
to the UN.
On August 7
Inner City
Press was
informed that
as Houthis and
Saleh's GPC
headed to Oman
for
consultations
on August 8
and 9, the
UN's
replacement
envoy Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed was not
even initially
invited. He
had to beg to
get included,
which after
sweating has
been allowed,
in the run-up
to his
briefing on
August 12 to
the Security
Council.
On
August 12,
Inner City
Press asked
Yemen
Permanent
Representative,
outside the
Council
meeting,
questions
ranging from
the
destruction of
schools and
health care
facilities in
Sa'ada by
Saudi
airstrikes to
when,
according to
him, the
Houthis might
be "driven"
out of Sa'ana.
Video
here. He
said in a few
weeks - and
added that the
Oman talks
were "not UN."
So
how then might
the parties
negotiate? UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric said
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was headed
back to
Riyadh. That
seems to be
his base,
where he works
from - and
for? Watch
this site.
Oman has
received murky
thanks for
France for
facilitating
the release of
a hostage, who
was working
for the Social
Development
Fund there.
Did Oman pay
for France? Or
will others be
released, as
France brought
about in Mali?
On July 28,
Inner City
Press asked
Saudi Arabia's
Permanent
Representative
about Mokha or
Mocha; he
replied that
previous
allegations
about Saudi
airstrikes on
Old City
Sana'a and on
a palace in
Aden once used
by Queen
Elizabeth had
been proven
untrue. We'll
have more on
this.
Inner City
Press asked
Yemen's
representative
about the
talks in Cairo
involving the
United Arab
Emirates,
allies of
former
president
Saleh and,
it's said, the
US and UK. He
replied that
the Yemeni
government -
in exile -
deals through
formal
channels, the
GCC or UN.
He might have
been asked,
which foreign
minister is he
reporting to:
the one named
by Hadi, or
the one - his
predecesor -
named by
Bahah? We'll
have more on
this as well.
After
publishing its
multi-sourced
story, Inner
City Press on
July 22 asked
the UN's
Associate
Spokesperson
about new APC
and weapons in
Aden, and if
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
is on
vacation. Video here. She replied that she
would check -
but did not
revert with
any response
either way.
So on July 23,
amid reports
that without
Cheikh Ahmed
or any UN
presence talks
were occurring
about Yemen in
Cairo, Inner
City Press
asked,
here.
Inner City
Press asked
the UN where
Cheikh Ahmed
is. UN Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
told Inner
City Press
that he has
been "planning
his travels,"
soon to
Riyadh. Yeah,
Inner City
Press was told
by another
less
constrained
but at least
as
knowledgeable
source:
planning his
future travels
while already
on vacation.
Another source
compared it to
then UN envoy
to Pakistan
Jean-Maurice
Ripert going
on vacation
amid national
disasters in
Pakisan and
then losing
his post.
The buzz in
Sana'a, where
Hadi has named
a governor in
exile
described as
an Islamist,
is that Cheikh
Ahmed may well
have known of
the plans to
bring in APC
and weapons to
those fighting
the Houthis in
Aden, and so
"misleadingly"
urged a pause.
Another
compared this
to the UN
luring out
surrendering
rebel leaders
in Sri Lanka -
to their
deaths.
And so from
Aden,
photographs of
brand new
light brown
vehicles,
American-made,
brought in.
Will they end
up in the
hands of Al
Qaeda?
On
June 25, Inner
City Press
asked new UN
aid chief
Stephen
O'Brien three
questions
about Yemen:
cholera, the
destruction of
ambulances in
Sa'ada and
about
international
staff. Video
here.
O'Brien
replied that
cholera is a
risk; he had
no information
on WHO it was
that destroyed
the ambulances
in Sa'ada (we
can guess.) On
international
staff, which
the UN
evacuated
earlier, he
spoke of a
rise from 17
to 70, with
the goal of
getting to
200. He would
not say if
they are
anywhere in
the country
outside of
Sana'a, citing
security. But
at least he
spoke - the Free UN Coalition for Access thanked
him.