Yemen's Hadi
Gov Said UN
Moves Iranian
Equipment,
Invites UNCA
to Breakfast
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
3 -- 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.
In
the UN
Security
Council on the
Yemen
sanctions
resolution
adopted on
February 24,
language was
added to try
to discourage
the Panel of
Experts from
looking into
the act of the
Saudi-led
Coalition.
Concessions
were made, of
a kind not
made for or
about other
countries
under
sanctions.
(Inner City
Press had to
follow the
process from
outside the
UN, literally,
the park on
43rd Street
across First
Avenue,
because only
days after
Inner City
Press asked
why the UN was
so quiet about
false
claims of
Iranian
military
equipment
in a UN WFP
aid ship,
Inner City
Press was
summarily
thrown out of
the UN, and
Banned,
without due
process. Petition
here.)
On
March 1, back
in on a
reduced access
pass, Inner
City Press
asked UN OCHA
official John
Ging about
taking "aid"
money from
Saudi Arabia
while it
blasts away at
Yemen. Video
here.
Ging
said these two
are "ring
fenced," and
that the UN
doesn't allow
Saudi Arabia
to put
conditions on
aid or where
it is
delivered.
Inner
City Press
asked, what
about the
Saudi threat
that aid
workers should
leave
Houthi-controlled
areas? Ging
said the UN
had pushed
back.
But
quietly, as
was the case
with the Saudi
diversion of
the WFP ship.
Does money
talk?
Apparently
yes.
The
Yemen
"government,"
which under UN
rules could
hold a press
conference for
all
journalists in
the UN Press
Briefing Room,
has instead
chosen to
invited only
members of the
Gulf and
Western media
dominated UN
Correspondents
Association to
a spin
session. We've
put the leaked
invitation
online here;
here's some of
the text:
Dear
Colleagues,
UNCA is
extending an
invitation
sent from the
Permanent
Mission of the
Republic of
Yemen, to a
light
breakfast
briefing with
a public
diplomacy
delegation on
their visit to
New York to
discuss the
current
political
situation in
Yemen, on
Tuesday, March
8th at 9:00am
at the mission
(413 East 51st
street).
Please see the
attached
invitation to
RSVP.
Giampaolo
Pioli, UNCA
President
The
focus of the
annexed
invitation is
on "IHL and
HRL violations
of the Houthi
- Saleh
rebels." This
is UNCA: this
is how the UN
works, or
doesn't.
On
March 3, Inner
City Press
asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq why
UN OCHA
official
Stephen
O'Brien said
he was
"pleased" when
Saudi Arabia,
which funds
O'Brien's
Yemen appeal,
continues to
hold the UN's
"humanitarian
IT equipment"
at least under
March 6, after
Yemen's
Ambassador -
sure to be
present at the
spoon-fed
breakfast for
UNCA - said
was Iranian
military
equipment.
UNCA played a
role in the
UN's ouster of
Inner City
Press, and is
now linked to
at least two anonymous
troll Twitter
accounts
trying to
defend the
ouster. This
too is how the
UN works: UN
Censorship
Alliance.
Here, already
public online,
are the
officials and
some of the
large and in
charge
At-Large UNCA
2016
(breakfast)
board members:
On
February 28,
Ban Ki-moon
but not his
invisible
envoy issued a
canned
statement
about the
previous day's
airstrike:
"The
Secretary-General...
calls for a
prompt and
impartial
investigation
of this
incident."
Ban's call for
an impartial
investigation
rings hollow,
when he has
allowed his
Under
Secretary
General for
Public
Information
Cristina
Gallach to
oust Inner
City Press,
which reports
on Yemen,
based on an
"investigation"
which never
even SPOKE to
Inner City
Press. This
incongruity,
and its
consequences,
has been
raised
directly to
Ban and his
most senior
advisers.
Impartial?
On February
16, Inner City
Press asked
the President
of the UN
Security
Council for
February,
Rafael Ramirez
of Venezuela,
about what
OCHA said in
the Council,
that the
Saudi-led
coalition
diverted a UN
World Food
Program ship,
the MV
Mainport
Cedar, from
Hodeidah to
the Saudi port
of Jizan.
Ramirez said
this had been
discussed and
that the UN's
Stephen
O'Brien is
trying to
clarify it.
On February
17, before the
Security
Council heard
from UN enovy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
Inner City
Press asked
Yemen's stated
Permanent
Representative
to the UN
Khaled
Alyemany about
the WFP ship.
Alyemany said
that that ship
had been found
to have
Iranian
military
equipment. Video here. Inner City Press
asked OCHA and
then three WFP
spokespeople
as well. The
response from
Gerald Bourke:
"We can
confirm that
on Thursday
February 11
one of WFP’s
charter
vessels, the
MV Mainport
Cedar,
carrying
humanitarian
relief
supplies,
travelling
from Djibouti
with a
scheduled and
approved stop
in the Yemeni
port of
Hodeidah, was
diverted by
Coalition
forces to the
Saudi Arabian
port of Jizan.
WFP is in
communication
with the
Coalition
Forces
regarding the
circumstances
of the ship’s
diversion to
Jizan Port. On
behalf of the
Yemen
humanitarian
community, the
vessel was
transporting
commodities
including
canned tuna,
medical
supplies for
delivery to
Hodeidah Port
and United
Nations
Emergency
Telecommunications
Cluster IT
equipment for
delivery to
the Port of
Aden. WFP has
been asked by
the Coalition
Forces to
resubmit the
paperwork
regarding the
humanitarian
IT equipment.
We hope the
vessel will
depart
shortly. WFP
has been in
touch with the
owner and the
crew of 13."
And
so on February
18, Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript
here.
And
now this -
Inner City
Press is
informed that
the Saudi-led
Coalition hit
with a missile
the UN's own
UNFPA
compound. The
UN should have
complained and
gone public,
but didn't.
Why not?
Because the UN
envoy IOCA has
been told to
stay away
while Saudi
Arabia bombs.
How's that
working out?
On
January 27,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, transcript here.
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.
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."
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
, 
