In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NY Post List

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 13 – 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. While his team still has MOU(s) with MBS, Guterres conceals others of his financial links. Now he has disappeared, his public schedules from August 2 through August 13 and counting blank.

 On August 3 the US through State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said: "The United States strongly condemns the attacks carried out August 1 and 2 in southern Yemen." A full ten days later, with Guterres still missing and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric having cancelled the UN noon briefings while promising answers that, at least to Inner City Press' seven written questions did not come by close of business, this: "In answers to questions asked about the situation in Yemen, the Spokesman said the following:  We are closely following the developments on the ground in Aden. We are particularly concerned by the impact of the violence on civilians.  According to the United Nations Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, preliminary reports indicate that as many as 40 people have been killed and 260 injured.     We continue to urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to adhere to international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We welcome the initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to convene a meeting in Jeddah between the relevant stakeholders to resolve their differences through dialogue.     It is critical that all parties work to ensure that the events of the past days do not lead to further instability in Aden or elsewhere in Yemen. We emphasize that the conflict in Yemen can only be resolved through an inclusive political process." Phoning it in, taking that Saudi (and UAE) money.

 On July 15 the UN issued a statement without the name of Michael Lollesgaard. It's not suprising - he is leaving to become Danish Army chief of staff, the UN once again used without accomplishing anything, its abuses included disgusting sexual abuse covered up by journalist engaged in the same. We'll have more on this. - and on this byline: "UN vessel, Red Sea, 15 July 2019." The UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, while banning Inner City Press from any entry of the UN for the 377th day, is off on vacation for the rest of July. We'll have more on this.

 On July 10 in a noon briefing the UN banned Inner City Press from attending, Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq declined to give a read out of UK/UN envoy Martin Griffiths meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Later State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus issued this: "Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo met today with UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths. The Secretary thanked the Special Envoy for his continued efforts to move the political process forward. The Secretary and the Special Envoy discussed the latest developments on the UN-led political track. The Secretary expressed concern over the recent increase in Iranian-supported Houthi attacks into Saudi territory that exacerbate the conflict and deepen mistrust. The Secretary and the Special Envoy agreed that parties must continue working toward a political settlement and an end to the conflict in Yemen."

 On June 20, this from US Senator Bernie Sanders as he voted in support of joint resolutions seeking to block the transfer of $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and other states: "The Trump administration’s attempt to do an end-run around Congressional disapproval in order to transfer weapons to the Saudi and Emirati regimes is a violation of the law, and an affront to the Constitutional order.   “Repeatedly, we see this president using phony ‘emergency’ declarations to sidestep the law to get what he wants. The fact that he is transferring these weapons at a time when the Saudis and Emiratis are waging a catastrophic war in Yemen, a war that a bipartisan majority in Congress has declared to be unauthorized and illegal, is even more outrageous.   “It’s time for the president to respect the will of a convincing majority of the Senate and follow the law. I will do everything I can to assert Congress’s power over the purse to end the war in Yemen and block these weapons from being used by the Saudis in that war. Trump should not do the bidding of the repressive, undemocratic regime of Saudi Arabia, which was exposed this week by the United Nations for the premeditated killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the coverup of that crime.” Well, it was exposed by an independent expert affiated with but not representing the UN. The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, is totally down with MBS, as with Paul Biya of Cameroon.

  Consider this on May 26 from UNICEF's Henrietta Fore who has refused to make even the UN's minimal public financial disclosure: "Seven children between the ages of 4 and 14 were killed on Friday in an attack on the Mawiyah district, in the southern Yemeni city of Taiz.  “This attack brings to 27 the number of children killed and injured in a recent escalation of violence near Sanaa and in Taiz over the past 10 days. These are only the numbers that the United Nations has been able to confirm; actual numbers are likely to be even higher.  “Nowhere is safe for children in Yemen. The conflict is haunting them in their homes, schools and playgrounds.  “We, once again, urge all warring parties in Yemen and those who have influence over them to protect children at all times and keep them out of harm’s way. Attacks on civilian infrastructure must stop and calls for peace in Yemen must be heeded.” How can an American UN official refuse financial disclosure? A fish rots from the head.

  Similarly, exiled puppet "president" Hadi is saying he won't deal with middle of the road UN envoy Griffiths unless Guterres gives him, like MBS, assurances. What has led to such perceived weakness of Guterres that even Hadi can do this? Well, not only did Guterres accept the PNG-ing of his envoy to Somalia - he then threw the envoy Nicholas Haysom under the bus, telling staff Haysom was "impolite" to sign a letter about human rights to the Somali government.

 Inner City Press exclusively publishes audio of this, here, video here, because UN staff disgusted by Guterres' sell out of human rights and of them are exclusively providing information to Inner City Press, which Guterres had roughed up and banned now for 325 days and counting.

Given that development, leaders even more propped up than Hadi will do the same. Guterres is killing what remains of the UN's credibility. #DumpGuterresToTryToSaveTheUN.

 Back on May 15 for the UNSC's Yemen meeting NRC's Mohamed Abdi  “As the UN Security Council meets today to discuss the situation in Yemen, governments funding and supporting this war must maintain pressure on conflict parties to fully implement the Stockholm agreement, including deployment of all monitors needed to oversee the ceasefire.  While we welcome fresh talks between the government of Yemen and Ansar Allah on sharing port revenues and paying public workers, conflict rages on in many parts of the country. In Al Dahle civilians remain trapped by the clashes unable to flee to safety, the main road supplying food from Aden in the South to the capital Sana’a remains cut off by the fighting. Civilians in Taiz live under the daily threat of sniper fire. In Hajjah, fighting threatens to cut of the city’s main water supply and access to the public hospital, and heavy air strikes continue to displace families...”  Guterres is on a junket to Fiji, with his MOUs with MBS in place, corrupt. 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. 

***

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Search innercitypress.com  Search WWW (censored?)

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2019 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for