By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 13 --
What does it
take to get UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon, some
have asked, to
change his
position?
Apparently a
call from
Italy's
foreign
minister Emma
Bonino, they say,
and an
impending
meeting with
the European
Union's Cathy
Ashton.
Earlier this
week the UN
characterized
as a
"bilateral
issue" the
detention of
two Italian
marines in
India, for shooting
two fishermen
they mistook
for pirates.
This gave rise
to a flurry of
outrage and
activity in
Italy. In New
York, Italy's
Mission to the
UN tweeted on
February 12
that at the EU
coordination
meeting, Italy
got support.
At the
February 13 UN
noon briefing,
three separate
Italian
correspondents
asked about
the issue.
(One wondered
if one of them
had also
raised the
issue in Ban's
"secret"
Q&A
session with
insider
scribes, click
here for that.)
Ban's
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
had a written
statement, now
expressing
concern and
saying the
issue could
have wider
import: no
longer
bilateral. So
that is what
it takes.
(By contrast,
on February 12
a
demonstration
of Tamils
protested Ban
Ki-moon's (in)
action on
killings in
Sri Lanka.
Inner City
Press
tweeted photo
here. UN
security
officers, one
a Sinhalese
Sri Lankan,
stared across
First Avenue
at them. There
was no
meeting, no
change of
position.
Inner City
Press
continues and
will continue
to cover the UN's post
Sri Lanka
failure
"Rights Up
Front"
initiative.
Some
also note that
the UN stayed
away from the
issue of the
Indian
diplomat
Khobragade
whom the US
arrested,
strip searched
and says it
will re-arrest
is she
returns, on a
dispute about
payment to her
housekeeper.
Did India make
enough calls
to the UN?
There are other
comparisons.
There's
also this
Italy - UN -
US Digital
Millennium
Copyright Act
censorship related
news, with old
Sri Lanka
related photo,
here, in Italian.
In other Italian
news,
alongside
foreign
minister
Bonino's
calls, prime
minister Letta
is reportedly
set to resign.
Back in
September, as
reported by
Inner City
Press, Letta
gallivanted
around New
York. From
Media Alerts
sent out by
the Italian
Mission to the
UN:
September
24:
"We are
pleased to
confirm that
the Italian
Prime
Minister,
Enrico Letta,
will hold a
stakeout in
the UN Rose
Garden, TODAY,
Tuesday
September 24,
following the
address of the
President of
the United
States of
America."
The
connection to
Obama's speech
was unclear.
Also September
24:
"We
are
glad to inform
that the
Italian Prime
Minister,
Enrico Letta,
will meet the
press TODAY AT
12:15 PM
outside the
New York Times
building
located at 242
West 41st
between 7th
and 8th
Avenues."
The
next day,
Letta was back
in the UN Rose
Garden,
apparently
looking
through
rose-colored
glasses:
"Please
be
advised that
the Italian
Prime
Minister,
Enrico Letta,
will hold a
possible
stakeout in
the Rose
Garden of the
UN, tomorrow,
Wednesday,
September 25,
following his
address to the
UN General
Assembly, at
approximately
1 pm."
Also
on September
25 Letta
Occupied Wall
Street, in his
way, with the
so-called (and
once
self-described)
Money Honey:
"8.20-10.15
Meeting
at the New
York Stock
Exchange with
NYSE
delegation
headed by CEO
Niederaurer
(Statement,
Opening Bell,
visit to the
trading floor,
interview with
Ms. Maria
Bartiromo for
'Closing Bell'
show) (2 Broad
Street)"
And
then it all
wrapped up:
"The
concluding
press
conference of
Prime
Minister, Hon.
Enrico Letta
will be held,
as scheduled,
tomorrow
Thursday 26
September at
1:20 pm at the
Italian
Academy,
Columbia
University
(1161
Amsterdam
Avenue)."
While
Letta was up
to this in New
York, also
meeting with
Hassan
Rouhani, his
support at
home was
falling apart
even then. And
now, he's
about to
resign. What
about the sailors?
Watch this
site.
, 
