On
Yemen, IMF
Welcomes GCC
Immunity Deal,
Ready to
Support
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 1 --
On Yemen, the
International
Monetary Fund
kept
meeting with
Ali Saleh
officials even
as his
government
killed
protesters. On
December 1,
Inner City
Press asked
the IMF, "with
Ali Saleh's
signature of
the deal, what
is the IMF's
thinking and
plans for the
country? Whom
in Yemen has
the IMF spoken
with and
when?"
Later
on December
1 the IMF sent
this response:
"on
your
question on
Yemen, the IMF
welcomes the
signing of the
agreement,
which we hope
will bring the
crisis to an
end. The
agreement
involves a
formation of a
new government
that we look
forward to
working with.
We understand
that the new
government
will
put in place
an economic
stabilization
plan as per
the GCC
agreement,
and we stand
ready to
support such a
plan with an
IMF-supported
program if the
new government
wishes to
reengage with
the IMF."
Back
on March 31,
Inner City
Press asked
then-IMF
spokesperson
Caroline
Atkinson (now
with the Obama
administration)
“On
Yemen, please
describe IMF's
engagement
with current
gov't after
Ghazi
Shbeikat's
talks earlier
this month,
and any impact
its killing of
protesters has
had.”
Ms.
Atkinson translated
this to “I have a question online
about Yemen:
Please
describe the
IMF’s
engagement
with the
current
government
after talks
earlier this
month and any
impact the
violence has
had.”
The
violence --
that is, the
killing of
protesters --
has been so
bad even
Yemen's
Permanent
Representative
to the UN
Abduallah
Alsaidi,
former head of
the Group of
77 and China,
has quit. Here
was Ms.
Atkinson's
(first) answer:
“Of
course, in
Yemen, Syria,
and other
cases we
deplore any
violence and
we hope for
peaceful
resolution of
political
issues–We have
a program
actually
outstanding
with Yemen and
there have
been contacts
at a technical
level with the
central bank
monitoring
developments.
Then
on April
28, Inner City
Press asked
the IMF's
David Hawley
to “describe
the IMF's
interface with
Syria and
Yemen, and how
the crackdowns
there may
impact that,
and how they
are viewed by
the IMF.”
(c) UN Photo
IMF's Lagarde
and Ban
Ki-moon,
business as
usual in
Sana'a?
Hawley
said that the
IMF's program
with Yemen are
“on hold in
the current
situation,”
and then
referred to
comments by
IMF Middle
East and
Central Asia
director
Masood Ahmed
-- who is the
one who said,
the previous
day in Dubai,
that the IMF
is “ready to
work with the
Yemeni
authorities...
once the
situation
allows.”
Did that mean
a reduction in
violence --
which could be
brought about,
at least
theoretically,
by MORE
repression
rather than
less -- or the
exit of Saleh?
The IMF didn't
say.
And now,
after what's
called the
immunity deal,
the IMF stands
ready. We'll
continue on
this - watch
this site.
Footnote:
The
IMF had not
had a press
briefing for
four weeks,
but still on
the
morning of
December 1 its
web page did
not list any
press
briefing.
Too late,
despite
monitoring the
web page,
Inner City
Press found
out
about a
briefing,
submitted the
question about
and a request
for "an
explanation of
the lack of
IMF web page
notice of this
morning's
briefing."
There
was at least
a response to
the Yemen
question,
above. But
nothing on the
other.
Watch this
site.
, 
