On Yemen, ICP Asks Ban Spox How Saudi Sell-Out Discredits UN Blacklists
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 8, 2016 -- The UN Secretariat of Ban Ki-moon's bungling of Yemen mediation has become ever more clear, according to multiple sources and documents exclusively seen by Inner City Press, see below.
Now Ban's bungling and worse have become more public. He put Saudi Arabia on the annex to his Children and Armed Conflict report, for what it has done in Yemen. Then he reversed course - and when slammed by human rights groups and others, had his officials spin scribes about how he had been blackmailed, how he had only sold out in order to help Palestinians who would be left without aid.
In this version, it's the Security Council that's to blame, for not backing up Ban against Morocco. Because he cares so much, and because others care so little, he had to sell out: This is the party line. This compounds the bungling.
On June 8, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, if he couldn't deny that Saudi monetary threats led to its deletion from the annex (he did not deny that), to explain how this doesn't discredit UN human rights blacklists. Those on them just can't afford to buy their way off.
At 1 pm on June 6, Dujarric told the press the report was "done" and wouldn't be changed. Vine here, below from the UN transcript. Then at 4:08 pm, Dujarric's office said Ban was dropping the Saudi led coalition from the Annex. What changed?
On June 7, Inner City Press asked Dujarric, Video here