Click for March 1, 2011 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption by Inner City Press   2014: MRL on Beacon Reader

September 23, 2019

UN Guterres Via Spokesman Evades On Ban Of Inner City Press From UN General Assembly Video Here

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT Video

UN GATE, September 19 -- Who gets to decide which media can enter the United Nations to cover this month's United Nations General Assembly high level week?   

  The answer in today's UN, not unlike in any dictatorship whether China or Cameroon, is one man and his small circle of yes-men and a yes-women, with no due process, no right to appeal, no judicial oversight.   

  In this case the man is Antonio Guterres, without appeal or oversight. On September 13 two journalists asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, and he gave no reason for ban, liked that there the UN has some line of communication about accreditation with Inner City Press, and did not mention that he refuses its written questions, even on UN rapes. Video here. From the UN transcript:

Simon Ateba, Today News Africa: I know the UN doesn't really like talking about American citizen and journalist Matthew Lee of Inner City Press.  We understand that you refuse to accredit him this year again, and they didn't give him any reason.  Is that not a way of trying to suppress the freedom of the press and trying to retaliate because of his reporting against the Secretary‑General…? 

Spokesman:  I've used many words over the years to talk about Mr. Lee.  I think I've run out of them.  What I can tell you is that this Organization, as you can see by the full size of this room and the broad range of representation, that it's filled with reporters that are often very critical of the United Nations, and that's part of the way things work.  So, we are open.  We are open for business for journalists.  There are certain standards, as for any organization, to be accredited.  Those who meet those standards are welcome here in this room to ask a question about anything they want, and those who don't meet the standards don't meet the standards.

QUESTION: a follow‑up on the Matthew Lee question.  You said that certain standards are required for journalism.  As I understand it, Matthew now is a card‑carrying member of the SDNY, Southern District of New York court.  What's the difference between that and the UN? 

Spokesman:  I'm not going to go into individual cases, and the standards do not have to do with what people write.  It has to do with standards that apply to everybody that's in this building, and that's… it's about behavioral standards, and I think he knows full well.  Yalla.

Simon Ateba: follow‑up on Matthew Lee.  He's… he's a… as I said, he's a journalist and an American citizen.  He's… he has a new card now, and he feels that he's been discriminated against.  I saw the reply that the UN gave him when he applied. 

Spokesman:  Look, I mean, I appreciate you… sorry.  Let me finish.  Let me allow you to finish.  I'm sorry.

 Question:  If I could complete the question.  If I can finish my question. 
Spokesman:  Go ahead.  Question:  The UN said he was banned last year, so he's not going to get accreditation this year.  So, is there a valid reason for you to ban a journalist from attending the UN General Assembly?  Who defines the standard?  Is it you?  Is it…  Spokesman:  I will not go into his particular case.  I think he's in touch with our colleagues who do the accreditation.  What is clear is that every journalist that comes into here agrees to a code of conduct, of behaviour, which all of you signed on to, which is elaborated between the UN and the UN Correspondents Association (UNCA).  Mr. Bays?

Both are corrupt. Note that on September 19 Inner City Press' reporting from the SDNY court  on the #6ix9ine trial was picked up in Holland, France and elsewhere. We'll have more on this.

September 16, 2019

On Cameroon Biya Warlike Dialogue Decree No Answers By Corrupt UN Guterres To Press He Bans

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UN GATE, Sept 14 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 37 years on January 28 had his opponent Maurice Kamto arrested, Inner City Press again asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his spokesmen for their comment and action, if any. This came after Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 after it interviewed Biya's Ambassador about the two men's Budget Committee deals and banned from the UN since - Guterres even tried to get Inner City Press banned from the Park East Synagogue, here, which was denied / dodged by his French spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who put up then took down a podcast in which he brags about his "mutually assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here.

  After Paul Biya's scam speech Inner City Press in writing asked Dujarric and Guterres and his new Global Censor Melissa Fleming, "September 13-1: On Cameroon, again on the question you have refused to answer or allowed to be asked in the UN Press Briefing Room, given that Paul Biya's speech which SG Guterres immediately praised reiterated threats to crush "separatists" and denied that any marginalization has taken place, while leaders have been given life prison sentences, what is the meaning of Guterres' praise - now that Ayuk Tabe on whose refoulement from Nigeria the SG and DSG stayed silent has said Biya's "speech was a non-event and a non-starter"? Who worked on this UNSG statement - Francois Lonceny Fall? Rosemary DiCarlo? Had the Biya regime given the UN any heads-up? And again, where is the if-asked information about the Cameroon UN peacekeepers child rape in DRC?" No answer at all.

Meanwhile in Nigeria the coordinator of the Cameroonian refugees in Cross River State, Pastor Tabichou Afangha and a renowned medical doctor, George Geh, insist on their independence, which they claimed they got in October 1961. Afangha said, “The call for dialogue by Biya is a big joke; it is madness. The essence of the dialogue has been grossly abused. Who is he calling to dialogue with? We are Ambazonians? “We only gained the status of Cameroun when we united with the other parts of the country after the fake union put together at the Fouban conference in East Cameroun.  Biya later dissolved that union when he enacted law number 84/01 of February 4, 1984.  What we are asking Mr Biya is to implement his own law, the restoration law, which dissolved the illegal merger between La Republique du Cameroon and Southern Cameroon, now Ambazonia. “Could there have been eruption of violence, killings and destruction if Biya had respected his own law?  When he has given life jail to our leaders he wants to dialogue with foes? In Ambazonia we have always been a peaceful people, but he unleashed wanton violence on us,’’ Afangha added.  Geh, who has worked as a medical consultant for different state governments in Nigeria said, “We will not dialogue with Biya. He is extremely dangerous and untrustworthy. We want our independence, which we won in 1961.’’ He further explained that it was the United Nations resolution 1608 that granted them independence in 1961. He added that Britain tricked them. “We were a trusteeship territory managed by Briton, who were supposed to sit with East Cameroun and ensure that our independence was guaranteed. There were three options, but Britain rather said we should decide whether to join other parts. They left out the third option, which was to choose to become an independent country. Britain did not want to lose its investments. France gave them £20 million and took over our territory and Britain vamoosed without any preparation for our independence,’’ he said.

  Guterres has sold out for a golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors when Biya's Tommo Monthe was the chairman; Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 just after it questioned Monthe and banned ever since. He is a corrupt censor.

  Now UN favorite Voice of America has again written about ludicrous story about Cameroon, by Moki Edwin Kindzeka whom VOA pays as a freelancer while he works for Biya's state media CRTV...

Inner City Press as of September 14 is being banned by Guterres and Melissa Fleming from covering the UN General Assembly, presided over by Nigeria's ambassador Tijjani Muhammed-Bande. We'll have more on this.

Inner City Press live tweeted the shameful May UNSC session and uploaded Guterres' envoy Francois Fall's failing statement here.

  More here.

September 9, 2019

UN Guterres Covers Up Sex Abuse By Dumping Statistics on 39 Allegations Claiming Only 10 Child Rapes

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UN GATE, Sept 5 -- Stephane Dujarric, the lead spokesman of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and now Guterres' Global Communicator Melissa Fleming and even Assistant Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino, have joined their boss in personally covering up child rapes and sexual abuse by UN personnel, including recently a child rape by a UN "peacekeeper" from Paul Biya's Cameroon in DR Congo.

  After and while refusing all written questions from Inner City Press about these UN rapes, on September 5 Dujarric read out in the briefing he bans Inner City Press from a series of statistics that he did not put online. He seemed to say there were "only" 39 allegations in the second quarter, involving "only" ten girls - that is, ten child rapes. To a few correspondents who if the past is any guide will not publish on the information or on Guterres' and Dujarric's open censorship, Dujarric promised to give more "granular" information in his office. Inner City Press has asked for this information for months - let's see if it goes online. Watch this site.

  On the morning of August 27 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Dujarric, Fleming and others: "On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request that you immediately provide the "if asked" information supplied about other cases in the past about the cursory update this morning listing a SEA case by a Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) peacekeeper at MINUSCA in CAR. This information was provided in the past, before you banned Inner City Press (which re-applied on August 24, 2019 to cover the UNGA high level week). Also, again, what is Guterres' answer, which you refused to provide after banned Inner City Press asked you and others in writing on the morning of August 19 that you "immediately provide all if-asked and additional information about the new allegation of SEA announced at 11:01 am today, of child rape by a Cameroonian "peacekeeper" in DR Congo, and a separate child rape and also sexual exploitation by Gabonese peacekeepers in CAR, as well as the previously unanswered question about exploitation by Tanzanian peacekeeper - and also why previously published charges are no longer in the data to which UN Peacekeeping Conduct and Discipline points, including what if being done for these victims and any steps taken to avoid this constant repetition of abuse despite the SG's ostensible commitments. Again, are new allegations being buried elsewhere on the data page? Inner City Press is asking in writing because banned from the noon briefings and any follow up questions, now for more than a year. On August 24 Inner City Press re-applied for admission to cover the UNGA high level week. Yesterday as before none of Inner City Press' written questions, including on Cameroon, have been answered. This is a request that you immediately confirm receipt of these questions and requests. " But five days later there has been no answer, including after a desultory noon briefing by Soto Nino on August 30 when Dujarric like Hua Jiang went on another vacation. But their and Guterres' UN sent this out:

"From: malu malu [at] un.org
Date: Fri, Aug 30, 2019 at 4:23 PM
Subject: U.N. eAccreditation request for Matthew Lee Ref # M5413398 has been declined
To: Inner City Press:

Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press,  Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018."

  This is Kafka-esque, and corrupt. We will have more, much more, on this.

September 2, 2019

After UNSG Guterres Banned Press From Reporting On UNGA NYC Denies Having Any Documents Now Appealed

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UN GATE, August 31 -- After its  reporting on the United Nations as a resident correspondent for a decade, exposing war crimes and UN scandals from Sri Lanka to Yemen to Cameroon, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had Inner City Press roughly ousted by his UN Security and banned from the UN by them since 3 July 2018.

  On 24 August 2019 Inner City Press applied to  Guterres and his new Communications and media accreditation chief Melissa Fleming to be admitted like hundreds of others to cover the upcoming UN General Assembly. This was denied on August 30 with a Kafka-esque one-liner about accreditation having been revoked. Later on August 30, NYC City Hall issued this: "The Mayor's Office (OOM) has closed your FOIL request FOIL-2018-002-00511 for the following reasons:  A diligent search for records responsive to your request did not locate any such records. Accordingly, your request is denied.   You may appeal the decision to deny access to material that was redacted in part or withheld in entirety by contacting the agency's FOIL Appeals Officer: foilappeal@cityhall.nyc.gov within 30 days.  Request Information: Request Title: All records about United Nations "banned" lists, exclusions of people, discipline of UNDSS  Request Description: On behalf of Inner City Press and in my personal capacity this is a request under FOIL for all records in the possession of the NYC Office of the Mayor including the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs (MOIA; collectively OOM) regarding the exclusion of persons in the last three years from premises of the United Nations, in and around First Avenue and 42-48th Streets in Manhattan, including of NYC residents including journalists. This is also a request for all records in the same time period of the review, suspension or revocation of pistol permits for any UN personnel including but not limited to UN Department of Safety and Security personnel and the grounds therefore. To assist you in identifying and producing the responsive records on an expedited basis, I personally was physically ousted from the UN by UN DSS Lieutenant Ronald Dobbins and another unnamed on 3 July 2018 as I staked out and covered, as a journalist, the UN Budget Committee meetings. On 4 July 2018 I filed a report at the NYPD's 17th Precinct, despite being told - erroneously I now believe, including based on how my First Amendment rights have been impacted - that all UN personnel have total immunity. The report number is #2018-017-2848. See also, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/matthew-lee-un-attacks-reporter-journalist-inner-city-press-a8445081.html On 5 July 2018 when I went to the UN to continue my work as a journalist I was told I am “banned.” I have since been told that the UN has a “current and active barred notice” against me, that there is a banned list that includes “demonstrators” and “political activists.” I am still banned today, after 104 days. See also, https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-matt-lee-forcibly-removed-un-stripped-press-credentials/ and https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/reporter-expelled-un.php I find this deeply troubling and worth of urgent Press coverage. This request includes but is not limited to all records related to the above, related to any knowledge by OOM including MOIA of any UN “banned” list and how it is compiled, and what due process protections if any are in place, etc. Also any knowledge by OOM including MOIA of any disciplinary measures taken against UN Security officers or other personnel, at least for the past three years. I am also requesting any record in your possession referring to "Inner City Press" for the past ten years, with the past three years to be provided on an expedited basis."

  That denial has been appealed. Watch this site.

On August 28 Inner City Press received from Guterres' Security chief Gilles Michaud an ill-informed response passing the buck to the Department now run by Fleming, who has not responded to four separate letters to her after she defended and covered up for the urging of "harder repression" by Paul Biya in Cameroon. Michaud sent this to Inner City Press:

"From: Gilles Michaud <gilles.michaud@un.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2019 at 4:49 PM
Subject: RE: DSS treatment of Mr. Matthew Lee To: Inner City Press
Cc: Hua Jiang <jiang1@un.org>, Jay Pozenel <pozenel@un.org>  [also fleming@unhcr.org]

 Thank you for your message. I have taken the liberty of including counterparts from the Department of Global Communications and Office of Legal Affairs in my response.    

On 10 July 2018 UNDSS escorted Mr. Matthew Lee from the UNHQ complex after he attempted to gain unauthorized access to a locked area and subsequently refused to comply with repeated requests from UN Security to leave the premises, in breach of UN Media Guidelines and the UN Administrative Instruction on the authority of UN Security Officers in place at that time.     Following that incident – and on the basis of a review of a number of previous breaches of the Guidelines and Administrative Issuance – DPI/DGC considered Mr. Lee’s conduct to be inconsistent with the Guidelines for accredited UN correspondents and his accreditation was subsequently withdrawn.    

This decision stands and the DSS role is now limited to ensuring that unaccredited individuals do not enter the premises.    

I hope this clarifies.     Gilles Michaud  USG Safety and Security  United Nations        Gilles Michaud  USG Safety and Security  United Nations  Tel: 1-917-367-4652"

  Inner City Press sent a reply to Michaud and others including  SGCentral <sgcentral@un.org>, Amina Mohammed <amina.mohammed@un.org>, aminaj.mohammed@un.org, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti <marialuiza.viotti@un.org>, David Kaye <dkaye@law.uci.edu> and others:

"Dear Mr. Michaud -    Thank you for you response, which follows the message I sent you this morning intending to ensure that I am able to enter and cover the upcoming UNGA High Level week like hundreds or thousands of other correspondents.      This should take place, and here with all due respect is why:     While you say "I hope this clarifies," frankly what it clarifies is the lawless cover-up of UN censorship which has occurred for the past 421 days.     Essentially you state, and apparently believe, that DSS has only been enforcing USG Smale's decision to remove my 10 year media accreditation without a single hearing or right to appeal.     Be aware that DPI, now DGC, has for its part attempted to tell me that it is DSS's decision.     But you should most certainly be aware that in fact DSS officials, including  not limited to Matthew Sullivan and "Tiny," has said on camera that I am on DSS' "barred" list, and have blocked me from entering the UN with tickets in my name to event I was invited to, not as a journalist. I will be happy to provide with the photos of the tickets, including to a human rights event and also to a film to which I was invited by UNODC.    

So contrary to your clarification, DSS has not been ensuring that a person - me - not accredited by DPI/DGC as a journalist not enter the UN as a journalist, but that a person be entirely barred from any entry of the UN, even as a tourist...

You say that on July 10, 2018 I "attempted to gain access to a locked area." This is false. First, it was July 3, 2018.    

Second, the "locked area" was the Vienna Cafe outside Conference Room Five where the Fifth (Budget) Committee was meeting. I have covered such meetings for a decade without incident; when Lt Dobbins and his colleague grabbed me, I has just conducted an interview with Cameroon PR Tommo Monthe.    

They laid hands on my before I had any opportunity to leave - grabbing my laptop where I was typing up my interview. The Vienna Cafe area was not locked, and MALU guidelines say even non resident correspondents can stay until meeting are over, and thirty minutes after. So this is false.     In my email to you this morning I offered to answer any questions you had, since I was never given any opportunity to be heard after in June and July 2018 DSS was directed to throw me out of the UN even when I was authorized to be there - a speech by the SG in the GA lobby at 7 pm in June, the Budget Committee meeting in July.     I am still willing to show you the documentation of any and all of this. But if DSS has no block on me, and DPI now DGC never gave me a hearing and claims to respect freedom of the press, my August 24 application for accreditation like 100s of other correspondent who don't even write much about the UN should be granted immediately, now four days after I applied.  Given the timing, I ask for confirmation of my ability to enter, forthwith. Please confirm receipt of this message, and the above.   Thank you for your time,  Matthew Russell Lee, Esq., Inner City Press Past (and future?) Office at UN: Room S-303, UN HQ, NY NY 10017."

 Then after further messages with the UN which are subject to publication, past 4 pm on Friday, August 30 the UN issued a denial of accreditation with no reasoning other than that accreditation had previously been revoked:

"From: malu <malu@un.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 30, 2019 at 4:23 PM
Subject: U.N. eAccreditation request for Matthew Lee Ref # M5413398 has been declined
To: Inner City Press:

Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press,  Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018."

  This is Kafka-esque, and corrupt. We will have more, much more, on this.

August 26, 2019

Redacted FOIA Response Shows Al Jazeera Bays Telling VOA Of Complaint To Ban Inner City Press

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photo, CJR PFT

UN GATE, August 24 – Amid Inner City Press' detailed reporting on UN malfeasance it was targeted, roughed up and banned now for 417 days from entering the UN. Voice of America's UN correspondent pushed for the "review" of Inner City Press' accreditation; later Al Jazeera's UN bureau chief worked with UNSG Antonio Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric to get Inner City Press physically roughed up and ousted.

  Now VOA's Margaret Besheer and Al Jazeera's James Bays appear in belated Freedom of Information Act response from VOA's parent, the "U.S. Agency for Global Media." After delaying for months, Inner City Press has now received a flash drive full of heavily redacted documents.

 While still reviewing them, there is an e-mail from Al Jazeera's Bays to VOA's Besheer complaining that a Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs article about UN media coverage "mentions Inner City Press a para or two after mentioning us. I think I'll complain to the author. Poor research. [REDACTED]." Tweeted photo of e-mail here.

  Then Bays and others at Al Jazeera, when Inner City Press pointed out that Guterres' spokesman Dujarric was given them private briefing in the UN Press Briefing Room, conspired to have UN Security Lieutenant Ronald E. Dobbins and six unnamed roughed up Inner City Press and then ban it without due process. Journalism is not a crime? We'll have more on this.

August 19, 2019

In Cameroon UNHCR Partners With Biya Government In Bamenda Silence From Guterres and Fleming

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 17 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 37 years on January 28 had his opponent Maurice Kamto arrested, Inner City Press again asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his spokesmen for their comment and action, if any. This came after Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 after it interviewed Biya's Ambassador about the two men's Budget Committee deals and banned from the UN since - Guterres even tried to get Inner City Press banned from the Park East Synagogue, here, which was denied / dodged by his French spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who put up then took down a podcast in which he brags about his "mutually assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here.

  Now with Guterres gone missing for two weeks, this from UNHCR of his incoming Global Communicator Melissa Fleming: "The situation in the North West and South West regions remained tense in July, with many localities being destroyed and persons displaced as fighting continues between security forces and non-state armed groups. This, added to the continuous lockdowns in the afflicted areas and use of explosives by fighters have increased population movements with few people only returning for short periods to check on family, property or harvest crops. Between 22 and 26 July, hostilities forced an estimated 50 households of about 300 individuals in Bafmeng, NW region to move to nearby bushes. Meanwhile, on 03 July, a delegation of UN Agencies and Cluster Leads led by OCHA visited the Regional Humanitarian Coordination Centre to discuss on modalities for the distribution of humanitarian assistance and on 26 July, heads of Agencies met in UNHCR-Bamenda to finalise on the procedures put in place in partnership with government through the Regional Humanitarian Coordination Centres (RHCC) for humanitarian assistance to persons of concern in these areas." This while Guterres conceals his financial links to CEFC China Energy and has Inner City Press banned for 409 days and counting. And what do missing censor Guterres, and his Communicator Melissa Fleming who has been written to, say? So far, nothing. Watch this site.

  On July 22 Inner City Press was provided from Yaounde with video a protest in prison by people illegally detained. Inner City Press asked Guterres, his deputy Amina J. Mohammed, his vacationing (in France) spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq: "July 22-3: On Cameroon, after the SG took Biya's golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors, what are the comments and actions if any from him and separately DSG Amina J. Mohammed on the protests today by those Ambazonians illegally detained in Kondengui Central Prison?"

  While Haq's dying noon briefing lasted only until 12:14 pm he did not answer this or any other written question from Inner City Press, which published the video here. 

August 12, 2019

In UN OCHA Ghelani Favorites Work From Upstate and Telecommute in Geneva Inner City Press Is Told

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive CJR PFT

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 8 – The UN Secretariat is rotting not only in its political function through which Secretary General Antonio Guterres sided for example with Cameroon dictator Paul Biya while Biya's Ambasssador was chair of the UN Budget Committee, but also in its "humanitarian" arm, OCHA. Today Inner City Press has this story, on this the 401st day it has been banned without any due process from entering the UN by Guterres whose Cameroon (and China) connections it dared asked about and continues to report on:

"Hello. I am a former OCHA employee. I am writing under an anonymous email due to my fear of repercussions. Someone needs to investigate the Director of Operations for UNOCHA, Reena Ghelani.   She has long played "favorites," treating her inner circle well, and treating her underlings abusively, but everyone is scared to speak out, because she is protected by senior OCHA leadership.  However, it has now gotten to the point where it cannot be ignored any longer. Since being promoted to head of the Operations Division one year ago, she has begun rewarding her favorites with ridiculous perks while making the working lives of ordinary staff terrible. Certain staff members are away for several weeks or months at a time on annual leave and sick leave, without any explanation, and yet if she likes them, no questions are asked and there are no consequences, they continue to receive their paycheck, although everyone else has to cover their work.

One such staff member has just been given a "telecommuting" job in Geneva, even though this person has no real post (and is barely ever in the office, arriving at 11am and leaving at 3pm when they are there); meanwhile, Mrs. Ghelani has told regular staff that they should not think of taking advantage of flexible working arrangements.

Another of the inner circle works constantly from their home "upstate," with no oversight and no accountability.  Senior OCHA leadership was aware of all the problems with her management style before she was promoted, and was told not to select her, but they made special arrangements to ensure she got the position. Morale in the organization is at an all time low because staff feel they have no outlet to feedback, as Mrs. Ghelani has warned many of them that their posts won't be renewed in December." Since Guterres has had Inner City Press roughed up and banned and the vast majority of its written questions are not even acknowledged much less answered, the above is run as such. Inner City Press will add some of the above to the written questions it submits to Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric - and now his Global Communicator Melissa Fleming - and will report any response, as well as the changes that must come.

August 5, 2019

On Cameroon and Yemen UK FCO Refuses Again To Provide Any Documents Censorship Like UK Smale

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video, 7/20, CJR, ICO ruling

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 1 – As the abuses by Cameroon's security forces have been ignored by the UN, whose Secretary General Antonio Guterres has UN Budget Committee deals with Paul Biya and a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman who is bombing Yemen, the UK Mission to the UN and its parent the FCO withheld information on both countries from Inner City Press.

  Even after being belatedly admonished by the UK Information Commissioner's Office, now in May and June 2019 the UK Mission and FCO are doing the same and worse, outright refusing to proceeding Inner City Press' request about Cameroon and Yemen after the UK Mission refused to answer basic written questions.

  After the UK Mission's refusal, under Ambassador's Karen Pierce and Jonathan Allen, to answer Inner City Press submitted a FOIA request to FCO: "This is request under the UK Freedom of Information act for the following records as that term is defined in FOI, including but not limited to all electronic records, emails, text/SMS message and communications in any form, involving the UK Mission to the UN in New York since July 3, 2018 regarding Cameroon or Yemen (on which the UK holds the pen in the UN Security Council), and regarding any UK national UN Under Secretaries General including but not limited to Alison Smale and any opportunity given by the UN Secretariat to the UK to replace her or gain a different USG position as she leaves at the end of this summer. This request specifically includes all records related to briefings given by the UK Mission to the UN to members of the major international media (and any mentions of that term), as that information cannot legitimately by made public to some but not to the public"

 While last time, for which it was ultimately admonished, the FCO slowed began assembling documents, this time they flatly refuse: "I can confirm that the FCO does hold information relevant to your request.... to refine your request to narrow its scope [suggesting dropping Cameroon, Yemen, and pretending no way to search for documents about Smale or getting UN USG  positions from Guterres] .. You can apply directly to the Information Commissioner. However, the Information Commissioner will not normally make a decision unless you have first exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCO."

  On July 4, Inner City Press has written both to the FCO and the ICO. The ICO said it would wait until FCO ruled, which it has today August 1, in continued corruption. To the FCO, cc-ing two at the UK Mission including Stephen Hickey: "July 4, 2019  Via email to foi-dpa.pmcs@fco.gov.uk    To whom it may concern at foi-dpa.pmcs@fco.gov.uk:  This is a formal request for review of, and complaint about, FCO's June 15 denial in full of Inner City Press' and my May 11 request under FOIA for documents concerning the UK Mission to the UN, Yemen and Cameroon.      Amazingly, despite the UK ICO's 26 February 2019 ruling on the FCO's improper delay and withholding of records on an nearly identical request by Inner City Press (FS50771047, incorporated herein by reference), and with the UK Mission to the UN now refusing to answer or even acknowlege Inner City Press' written questions about Cameroon and Yemen, the FCO denied this reques in full.    It did not provide a single documents, even amid the controversy about the UK's sale of weapons for use in Yemen, and increasing visibility of the slaugher of Anglophones in Cameroon, with whose Paul Biya Liam Fox bragged about UK-based New Age's hydro-carbon deal. Additionally, UK Under Sec-Gen Alison Smale is set to leave in August, making the censorship portion of the request all the more timely.     Hence this request for review - and for action for accountability for those who are improperly withholding information about the UK government, censorship and the killing of civilians in Cameroon and Yemen.    The requested records should be provided immediately."

  Four weeks later, this: "INTERNAL REVIEW: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUEST REF 0459-19 Thank you for your email of 4 July requesting an internal review (IR) of our response to the above request. I note that your original request covered a time period of approximately 10 months and was widely framed in terms of the type of information you were seeking. I also note that we suggested you might wish to refine your request before we accepted it, and that you declined the opportunity to do so. I am satisfied that an appropriate sampling exercise was carried out to ascertain how much information we might hold in scope of your request. The results of that initial search indicated that there were several thousand documents which might potentially contain relevant information. I am therefore satisfied that it would have taken us considerably longer than three and a half working days to comply with your request, and that the decision to refuse it under s12 of the FOIA was correct. In your IR request you refer to a request you made for similar information in 2017 (FCO ref 0783-17) and the subsequent ICO Decision Notice on that case. I note, however, that your 2017 request had been refined to cover a much shorter time frame and we were thus able to respond substantively to it within the specified cost limit. For your information, I have attached below some links to published material relating to your request that may be of interest to you. Yemen:  https://www.gov.uk/search/news-and- communications?keywords=yemen&world_locations%5B%5D=uk-mission-to-the-united- nations-new-york&order=relevance  Cameroon: Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Conflict Prevention and Mediation: ‘The role of mediation in  conflict prevention’, published 12 June 2019 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-role- of-mediation-in-conflict-prevention  Central FOI Unit Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH Website: https://www.gov.uk  Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the UN Regional Office on Central Africa: ‘Inclusive political dialogue in Central Africa’, published 4 June 2019 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/inclusive-political-dialogue-in-central-africa Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council Briefing on the UN Regional Office on Central Africa: ‘Preventing further conflict in Cameroon and the Lake Chad Basin’, published 13 December 2018  https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/preventing-further-conflict-in-cameroon-and-the-lake- chad-basin  If you are not content with the outcome of this Internal Review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire, SK9 5AF Yours sincerely,  Joint Head Central FOI Unit."

  We will be appealing. Because this is pure corruption - first colluding with Antonio Guterres to have the Press which asks about Cameroon and Yemen roughed up and banned, then refusing its questions, then trying to strong arm it into dropping whole parts of its FOI request. Disgusting. Watch this site.

July 29, 2019

UN Child Rape In DRC By Morocco Peacekeeper Resulted in Pregnancy Covered Up By Guterres 3 Days

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UNITED NATIONS GATE, July 26 -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, and for retaliation. But on March 15 he took his administration's "press briefing" about UN sexual abuse off the record, in a room he has banned Inner City Press which most asks about it from for 388 days.

 At 11 am on the morning of July 23 the UN data dumped a serious new charge, of child rape by a Moroccan UN Peacekeeper in the DR Congo. This comes a week after this pick up in TRT and elsewhere of Inner City Press' scoop on Guterres poised to reward Colin Stewart with re-appointment atop MINURSO despite sexual harassment charges UN staff complain to Inner City Press about. To Guterres, his deputy Amina J. Mohammed and two spokesmen, Inner City Press immediately in writing asked: "This is a Press request that you immediately provide all if-asked and additional information about the new allegation of SEA by a Moroccan UN Peacekeeper - apparently, rape of a child - in the DRC, uploaded after 11 am on July 23, including what if being done for the child victim and any steps taken to avoid this constant repetition of abuse despite the SG's ostensible commitments. Inner City Press is asking in writing because banned from briefing and any follow up questions, now for [more than] a year."

 For three whole days Guterres' UN did not answer or even acknowledge the question. Inner City Press wrote about it each day, and its readers - even those following for coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case in the SDNY - marveled at Guterres' cover up of child rapes. That may continue, but on July 26 from acting Spokesman Farhan Haq, which we immediately publish:

"In response to your question[s] -- The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has received an allegation of sexual abuse involving a Moroccan military contingent member formerly deployed to the Mission.  The allegation refers to the rape of a minor that allegedly took place from January to March 2019 and resulted in pregnancy. The UN has informed the Member State of the allegation and a National Investigation Officer has been appointed within the timeframe requested. The investigation will be conducted jointly by the Member State and OIOS.  The mission has offered appropriate assistance to the victim in line with the UN’s victim assistance protocols."

July 22, 2019

UN Welcomed Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell For TerraMar Abruptly Disappeared

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon, thread

SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 20 – With Jeffrey Epstein remanded on child sex trafficking charges to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell has closed down her TerraMar Project which had been welcomed in the United Nations in the Secretary General's press briefing room, before UNSG Antonio Guterres had Inner City Press thrown out.

  On 25 June 2013 Ghislaine Maxwell appeared in the UN briefing room pitching TerraMar. Inner City Press asked questions, for example on this video from 7:12. Then this:

From: G Max <ghislaine@theterramarproject.org>
Date: Fri, Jun 28, 2013 at 9:38 AM
Subject: The TerraMar Project To: matthew.lee [at] innercitypress.com
Dear Matthew, It was a pleasure to meet you. As promised, here is some information on the TerraMar Project – you can see all the latest press if you go to http://theterramarproject.org/thedailycatch/category/press/ - the UN talk, Bloomberg and CNN being the latest. Don’t forget to apply for your passport at theterramarproject.org – your citizenship is pre-approved! Best, Ghislaine 

Inner City Press has been on Terramar's mailing list since. As recently as July 11, 2019 TerraMar sent out an email about clownfish. But now its website says "The TerraMar Project is sad to announce that it will cease all operations. The web site will be closed."

  As so often at the UN under Guterres, corruption once exposed just tries to slink away. Guterres is financially linked to CEFC China Energy. When CEFC's Patrick Ho was indicted and convicted for UN bribery, Guterres never started any audit but instead has Inner City Press which asked roughed up and and thrown out, 382 days now. But the net is tightening. And there are others connected; more on Patreon here. Watch that and this site.

Epstein had his bail application denied on July 18 and will remain in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. His next court appearance is July 31. Judge Richard M. Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York gave a summary of his forthcoming written order, saying that Epstein is a danger to the community and citing the July 15 testimony of victims Annie Farmer and Courtney Wild. He called the proposed bail package woefully inadequate and added his view that no package would have outweighed the danger to the community. The public's interest in a speedy trial was outweighed by the need to prevent any miscarriage of justice.

 Meanwhile the SDNY prosecutors more quietly cut a cooperation agreement with another child sex trafficking Anthony Darby.

   Inner City Press had gone to the SDNY courtroom of Judge Paul Engelmayer to cover another matter. But inside the courtroom a shackled man was pleading guilty. The courtroom deputy came over to say this was not the case Inner City Press had come to cover. But Inner City Press stayed to cover it. Soon Assistant US Attorney Wolf requested a sidebar with Judge Engelmayer.

  The reason quickly became clear. Darby was pleading guilty to 14 counts, sex trafficking of minor and conspiracy, in exchange for cooperation he would get a 5K1.1 letter - in April 2020. Judge Engelmayer to his credit, unlike at least two other SDNY Judges, did not lawlessly order the Press to leave. And for that reason for now Inner City Press is reporting only these bare bones facts: that amid criticism of the Jeffrey Epstein non prosecution agreement, this Darby deal is taking place in the SDNY. Is it a good deal? We'll have more on this.

  That Jeffrey Epstein, now in the Metropolitan Correctional Center by Foley Square, would be denied bail on July 18 at 11:30 am was widely predicted. On July 17, after Judge Berman moved the time for his decision from 9:30 to 11:30 am the next day, Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe wrote to him: "The Government respectfully submits this letter to briefly respond to one aspect of the defendant’s July 16, 2019 letter (ECF No. 24), and to provide the Court with additional information regarding the defendant’s foreign passport. The defendant’s July 16, 2019 letter asserts: “[A]s for the Austrian passport the government trumpets, it expired 32 years ago. And the government offers nothing to suggest—and certainly no evidence—that Epstein ever used it.” (ECF No. 24 at 7). In fact, the passport contains numerous ingress and egress stamps, including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. The Government further notes that the defendant’s submission does not address how the defendant obtained the foreign passport and, more concerning, the defendant has still not disclosed to the Court whether he is a citizen or legal permanent resident of a country other than the United States." Watch this site.

July 15, 2019

UN Briber Patrick Ho In Appeal Reveals More Lobbying In UN For China Met Croatia President No Audit

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video, Scope Audio

SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 13 – Patrick Ho was sentenced to 36 months in jail on March 25 for UN bribery and having "sold weapons enthusiastically," along with a $400,000 fine imposed by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Loretta Preska.

During his trial, covered every day by Inner City Press which was and is banned from entering the UN amid its reporting linking current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the scandal through the Gulbenkian Foundation from his he received payments undisclosed on his public financial form covering 2016, an audio clip was played for the jury, see below.

  Now in mid July Ho has filed his appeal in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. While Inner City Press is still pouring over the hundreds of pages in the Appendices, including many exhibits which the U.S. Attorney's Office never despite requests made available, even the first day of review finds that Patrick Ho met through the UN, among others, Croatia's President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (to go along with CEFC's purchase of the Czech Republic as then chair of UN ECOSOC) and the foreign minister of Turkey. We'll have more on this - note that the Guterres-supporting UN Correspondents Association had a First Vice President then as now promoting the Turkish government.

 There is also this line from Ho's report to Ye on his UN lobbying at the highest levels: We, China Energy Fund Committee, are willing to provide support and assistance in the selection of programs and topics by the United Nations. In return, hopes that they would give more consideration to the China factor and more voices to China when formulating programs.” 

 So how is is possible that Antonio Guterres has refused to even begin a UN Office of Internal Oversight Services of CEFC China Energy's lobbying and bribery in the UN? When CEFC sought to pay Gulbenkian Foundation which made undisclosed payments to Guterres? Inner City Press, now banned by Guterres from entering the UN for 375 days and counting, will have more, much more, on this.

  Inner City Press has also reported on CEFC's Ye giving an expensive diamond to Hunter Biden who was with UN World Food Program USA, here. We'll have more on this, too.


Nigeria UN Mission Ran Over NY Paralegal And Now Cites Preexisting Condition In SDNY

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 10 – A few blocks from the United Nations on 49th Street and Second Avenue on 6 April 2018 Jennifer A. Edward was heading to her work as a lawfirm paralegal when a Nigerian Mission to the UN vehicle struck her, causing serious injury.    The vehicle's registration and insurance were both expired, in violation of the U.S. Diplomatic Relations Act.