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On Iran Secondary Sanctions US Pitches Japan Citing Its Diplomatic Muscle Memory As UNSG Whispers, Ousts

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photos, Q&A video, scope

UNITED NATIONS, June 26 – The US withdrew from the Iran Deal and re-impossed the "highest level" of sanctions on Iran, President Donald Trump announced on May 8. On June 26, a Senior US State Department Official held a background press call on U.S. efforts to discuss the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran with partners around the world. The official described a visit to Japan, and previewed upcoming visits to China, India and Turkey, adding that the US has "diplomatic muscle memory" of how to promote secondary sanctions, which beyond Iran it has had on Cuba. Reference was made to French auto companies pulling out of Iran, and that November 4 is a hard deadline. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, alongside ousting the Press on June 22 (video here, story here, new petition here) has managed to whisper about the JCPOA without, as it is now called, yet being "Justin Trudeau-ed" by Trump.  Back on May 8 at the UN the door to the Security Council, at least for evicted and restricted "non resident" correspondents, was locked. Periscope livestream video here. Inner City Press, locked out, caught only the end of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman's read out of his statement, Periscope here.

Inner City Press previously reported on Iran, and its depiction in a General Assembly speech. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the UN on 7 March 2018 to open an exhibition about Jerusalem, he singled out a particular UN Security officer, Matthew Sullivan, and brought him in front of the microphone. Link to photo here. He said, as he had on 26 September 2016, see below, that Sullivan seeks him out after each year's General Assembly speech and reviews it. Sullivan then called Netanyahu a great orator, and said the cartoon chart of Iran and the bomb with a burning fuse was his favorite. Inner City Press went and asked the UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who had been present. Dujarric acknowledged it but said Sullivan "was thrown into a limelight that he did not seek." Well, no - Netanyahu has repeated this same quote of Sullivan, using Sullivan's name, in a weekly cabinet meeting on September 26, 2016, Facebook video at -5:24, translated there into English. On March 14, Inner City Press asked the UN again, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: of Inspector Sullivan and Net… and Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, it wasn't just an incident… I want to… I guess what I wanted… and he didn't answer this.  In September 2016, Prime Minister Netanyahu quoted exactly what Inspector Sullivan said later in 2018 about the Iran bomb fuse speech being the best speech ever.  And so, it seems like the question really isn't… isn't whether he was surprised in the basement last week, but did anyone look into when was the quote given that Mr. Netanyahu quoted in September 2016? And… and I guess I'm asking because, again, many UN staff have wondered whether they can do the same thing.  Is it appropriate to praise… to… to offer that type of praise twice, not once but twice, at least? Deputy Spokesman:  First of all, we do not control what the Prime Minister of Israel says.  That's his business… Inner City Press:  He was quoting Mr. Sullivan. Deputy Spokesman:  …nor do we police that.  Regarding private opinions expressed by staff, they… they're capable of talking to people and expressing their private opinions.  This is not a case where someone was expressly trying to express their opinion in public.  That was not sought by Officer Sullivan, as Stéphane made clear last week. Inner City Press: But, when somebody calls you over in front of cameras and a microphone, you still choose what you say.  Maybe you didn't expect to be called over but it's not… it's…? Deputy Spokesman:  As Stéphane made clear, he was doing his regular security duties.  He… there was no speaking engagement sought on behalf of the officer." A bit later on March 14: "this is not a case where someone sought to express a public opinion.  That was put upon him through circumstances outside of his control.  Yes? Inner City Press:I just wanted to allow the follow-up, but I just… I guess is… your answer about that it wasn't thrust on him, this also covers the September 2016 statement quoted by… Deputy Spokesman:  He had not… he was not making a public statement.  That was something he had expressed to a person who then disclosed it. Inner City Press: Right, but he did it twice, with… I mean, in… given that the first time was… I don't know.  Was it appropriate? Deputy Spokesman:  We've said what we've said." On March 9, after being told by another UN Security officer that Sullivan was now seeking to file some sort of complaint against Inner City Press, at the days noon briefing Inner City Press asked again, getting off off in the process by Agence France Presse. Video here.


From the UN's March 9 transcript: Inner City Press: Yesterday, I had asked you about what happened during the visit of Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and… and Officer Matthew Sullivan.  You had said that he was cast into a light that he hadn't expected, and that was fine.  It… the… the… since found that in a… in a meeting with his Cabinet in September 2016, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, this is a quote from his Facebook page, translated into English from Hebrew, "I met there with Matthew Sullivan, an American security man, a former New York City policeman and he waits for me every time at the exit.  He always gives me his opinion about the speech and he told me it was an excellent speech, but I had given him a better one.  I asked him which one was better.  He said the bomb speech was better."  So it was exactly what was said downstairs yesterday, like almost verbatim, so I guess I want to ask you, it doesn’t seem like it was as spontaneous as… Spokesman:  I don't speak for the Prime Minister of Israel, nor do I write his remarks that he shares with his Cabinet.  As I said, again, Inspector Sullivan is a distinguished supervisor in our security service, and I think I answered your question.
Inner City Press: I guess my question is, and I say this because many staff members have reached out and said they've been told not to speak in exactly this way, so I just want to be clear whether they can or they can't.  If the UN was aware of these comments… Spokesman:  I think he was… Inspector Sullivan has been put in a very difficult position that he did not… that was not of his own making. Inner City Press: Was he aware of the statement in 2016, that he was being quoted? Spokesman:  I don't know.  Yes, Carole? Question:  Can I ask about… You've asked five questions..." And thus Dujarric let / used AFP to cut off the line of questioning. Left to the end, Inner City Press continued: maybe you don't know, but you could find out.  Was either the Department of Safety and Security (DSS) or Inspector Sullivan aware back in September 2016, when the Prime Minister made the comments and put them online, saying that this high inspector, as you've called him, in the UN praised my… my Iran bomb speech.  And if he had been…Spokesman:  I'm not aware that anyone was aware of those comments. Inner City Press: Now that you are aware, does what happened yesterday seem as spontaneous as you portrayed it yesterday? Spokesman:  It is not for me to say whether or not the things that were done or said by a visiting Head of Government in this organization is spontaneous or not spontaneous.  What I do know is that Mr. Sullivan, Inspector Sullivan, was there to supervise the security arrangements of a high-level guest.  He was sought out by the Prime Minister and in no way sought to find himself in front of the camera. Inner City Press: But if… if the UN were aware that a person at his level of the UN had been quoted in this way, as he was in 2016… Spokesman:  You know, people… I'm not going to go into hypotheticals.  I'm just stating what I know as facts."  It's not hypothetical. Here's the online English translation of what Netanyahu told his cabinet in September 2016: "I met there with Matthew Sullivan, an American security man, a former New York City policeman, and he waits for me every time at the exit from the United Nations General Assembly. He always gives me his opinion about the speech and he told me that it was an excellent speech, but that I have given a better one. I asked him which one was better. He said the bomb speech was better. He said, 'I express the general sense that United States citizens have in their massive support for the State of Israel.' They see us as representing their values and this continues and it is the fundamental truth about the special relationship between the two countries." But on 7 March 2018 UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Inner City Press that Sullivan had been caught up in the moment. What, repeating word for word what Netanyahu has been recounting for a year and a half? We'll have more on this.

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