At
UN,
Falk Says Ban
& Nambiar
Encroach on
Free Speech,
No Due
Diligence
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 20 --
As Richard
Falk spoke to
the press at
the UN
on Thursday
about human
rights in
Palestine, he
said that only
the
United States
and Israel had
been critical
of him.
Inner City
Press
asked him
about the blog
he wrote about
"open
questions"
about the
September 11,
2011 attacks
and a letter
condemning his
blog
by
Vijay Nambiar,
chief of staff
of UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon.
What did Falk
think of Ban
and Nambiar's
letter? Video
here,
from Minute
30:05.
"I
didn't
like it too
well," Falk
said. "It was
a
misinterpretation
of my blog."
Falk went on
to say that
"the Secretary
General didn't
look beyond
the letter"
from the NGO,
and
"encroached on
the freedom of
expression."
After
the press
conference
Falk told
Inner City
Press that
Nambiar later
told him
that no "due
diligence" had
been done
before issuing
the
letter of
confirmation:
Ban never even
read the blog
before
condemning it.
Even when Ban
is described
by some as
showing
principle, it
is reactive,
based on
pressure and
not "due
diligence," it
seems.
Friday
at the UN,
the special
rapporteur on
freedom of the
press will be
speaking. What
about this
UN's own
respect for
freedom of
expression?
Falk at
UN Oct 20, Ban
Ki-moon due
diligence not
shown (c)
MRLee
Inner
City Press
asked Falk
about
Palestine
joining the
International
Criminal
Court.
Falk said that
UN membership,
which is
subject to the
veto in the
Security
Council, is
not required
to join the
ICC, and that
a General
Assembly vote
granting
non-member
state status
might help
Palestine
to join the
ICC.
Footnote:
Falk confirmed
Inner City
Press' earlier
footnote that
he played
tennis with US
Ambassador
Rick Barton.
"He's a good
player," Falk
said,
adding that
Barton had
spoken against
one of Falk's
presentations.
Small world.
, 
