Kobler
Explains Iraq
Cuts, Denies
Using PMCs,
Visits Kurds,
To His Credit
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 19,
updated July
29, below --
When the head
of the UN
Mission in
Iraq Martin
Kobler emerged
from the
Security
Council late
Thursday, he
graciously
took four
questions from
Inner City
Press.
While
Kobler
only answered
two and a
half, and one
answer is
contradicted
by a recent
report, Kobler
stands out in
the current
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations for
at least
TAKING
questions.
And reviews of
his process
for deciding
and
implementing
budget cuts in
UNAMI are
generally
favorable.
That
was
Inner City
Press' first
set of
question: how
is UNAMI
cutting $30
million from
its budget,
and what about
UNAMI's
contract with
the private
military
contractor
Hart Security?
Kobler
said
yes, all
Special
Political
Missions have
to make cuts
(as Inner City
Press has
written, the UN Mission in
Afghanistan
is cutting $45
million, with
less
transparency
than Kobler's
UNAMI). But,
he said, all
staff will be
kept safe.
Iraq is safer
that it was in
2003, he said.
He
then
denied using
private
security,
other than
dogs he said
would remain
in 2013. But
the Hart
Security
contrast, for
$1.1 million,
appears to
have been
signed in
August 2011,
for "Provision
of Security
Awareness
Induction
Training," for
a cost of
$3,500 per
staff member.
We hope to
hear more on
this. Here are
some budget
lines:
HART
SECURITY
LIMITED
CYP
Training,
other
$437,444
11AMI-20387
UNAMI
HART
SECURITY
LIMITED
CYP
AMI/CON/2011/041
Provision
of Security
Awareness
Induction
Training
Training
(SAIT) for
UNAMI
1-Aug-11
31-Jul-12
$1,143,682
UNAMI
This last runs
(at least)
through July
31, 2012 -
still in
force.
Given
a
second round
of questions
by Kobler,
Inner City
Press posed
two about
Syria: whether
he could
confirm the
takeover some
border posts
by the Free
Syrian Army,
and for his
response to
Russian
Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin
earlier
statement on
Syria that
"It's all
about Iran" --
that after the
US invasion of
Iraq worked
out
differently
than the US
expected (with
an expanded
Shi'a and
Iranian role,
that is) now
they had to
try to contain
Iran, by way
of Syria.
Kobler
answered
that UNAMI is
concerned with
the
humanitarian
and political
situation, and
that there are
7000 refugees,
mostly Syrian
Kurds, in the
north, whom he
has visited.
He did not
answer about
the border
crossings nor
(perhaps
understandably)
comment on
Churkin's
analysis.
And
so
the scorecard
read, four
questions, two
and a half
answers, one
seemingly
contradicted
by the UN
procurement
database.
Still we again
note, review
of Kobler's
performance --
other than by
some about
Camp Ashraf
and Camp
Liberty --
remain mostly
positive, and
contrary to DPKO to
its highest
level he took
questions and
said things in
response.
That Kobler
and UNAMI are
really under
the Department
of Political
Affairs may
explain the
latter -- but
not the
former. Watch
this site.
Update
of July 29:
To his credit,
ten days after
the above,
Martin Kobler
wrote in with
this, which we
publish in
full:
Subject:
message
from SRSG
Martin Kobler,
UN Assistance
Mission for
Iraq
(UNAMI)
Date: Sun, Jul
29, 2012 at
12:44 PM
From: Anne
Czichos
[at] un.org
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Dear
Mr. Lee,
Thank
you very much
for your
interest in
the work of
the United
Nations in
Iraq.
As
a follow-up to
the media
stakeout after
the Security
Council
session
on Thursday,
19 July, I
would like to
apologize for
not fully
answering your
question
regarding
UNAMI's use of
private
security
companies.
I
would like to
add that UNAMI
is spending
approximately
USD 1.73
million in
2012 on static
security
provided by
private
security
companies in
Iraq, Jordan
and Kuwait.
The contract
for the SAIT
training,
which is
conducted by a
private
security
company, is
for up
to USD
1,182,771.50
in 2012.
Sincerely,
Martin
Kobler,
Special
Representative
of the United
Nations
Secretary-General
for Iraq
We'll have
more on this -
but we
appreciate the
update.
, 
