In
UN
Council, Of
Syria
Divisions,
Kenya
Incursion
Excused, Perm
Rep
Sleep
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 11 --
Friday
afternoon the
UN Security
Council held
a series of
closed door
briefings,
with no
outcome, on
Libya, Syria,
Somalia and at
Portugal's
request, an
anti-terrorism
mandate for UN
missions in
the field.
Afterward
Portugal's
Ambassador
Cabral,
Council
president for
November, told
the Press that
the Council
remains
divided on
Syria, but
united
against Al
Shabab in
Somalia.
Inner
City Press
asked Cabral
if any member
had requested
that Kenya's
entry into
Somalia be the
subject of a
Council
meeting.
No, he said,
members
understand
what Kenya is
doing. Cabral
confirmed that
he had met
with Kenya's
Permanent
Representative
to hear his
justification,
with
which Cabral
indicated he
agreed.
Susana
Malcorra,
the UN's head
for
peacekeeping
field support,
is said to be
in
Somalia. But
what about
Kenya bombing
an Internally
Displaced
Persons
camp and
killing five
civilians?
By contrast
the US is
pushing for a
(South) Sudan
Presidential
Statement to
be adopted on
November 15,
scheduling
consultations
not at the US
Mission but
that of
Portugal.
Earlier Friday
afternoon
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
briefed the
Council about
his
whirlwind trip
to Libya.
Members told
Inner City
Press the
briefing
was "routine,"
including
transmitting a
request that
more
funds be
unfrozen.
But
Cabral, who
chairs the
sanctions
committee,
said he now
routinely
signs
unfreezing
requests,
there is "no
problem." One
Council member
which was
opposed to how
Resolution
1973 was
implemented
asked Inner
City Press,
"Now
what is the
point of
keeping
sanctions on
entities? Take
it all off."
When
Ban left at 4
pm, Inner City
Press asked
about his 4 pm
meeting with
Palestine and
"the troika."
Ban replied
that he is
leaving on a
trip on
Saturday. OK
then, bon
voyage.
(c) UN Photo
Council
watches TV
screen on Nov
11, sleeping
PR not shown
Brazil's
Permanent
Representative
Viotti told
Inner City
Press her
country's
concept paper
on how to
assess
protection of
civilians and
the
implementation
of Security
Council
resolutions
has been given
to the
Secretary
General for
distribution.
The
most
interesting
tidbit we will
report in the
form of a
"blind item"
-- which
Permanent
Representative
fells asleep?
And which Perm
Rep
took a cell
phone
photograph?
Watch this
site.
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