UN
Asks Amos to
Go to Syria,
Russia Says
Not Opposing
Since No
Aid
Militarization
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 22 --
At the
February 21
luncheon of UN
Security
Council
members and
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon,
Russia's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Pankin brought
up what was
earlier
tweeted
from Moscow:
that there
should be a
humanitarian
envoy to
Syria.
France,
participants
in the closed
door luncheon
tell Inner
City
Press, was
particularly
dismissive.
On
February 22,
Ban's Deputy
Spokesman
announced that
Ban will be
"meeting Nabil
Elaraby to
discuss the
appointment of
a special
envoy to
handle the
crisis. In the
meantime, the
Secretary-General
has
asked Valerie
Amos, the
Under-Secretary-General
for
Humanitarian
Affairs and
Emergency
Relief
Coordinator,
to visit
Syria."
During this
announcement,
Inner
City Press was
being told
where to go
and not go by
UN Security.
From
where it was
confined,
Inner City
Press asked
Amos' Deputy
Catherine
Bragg if there
was any
indication
that Syria's
Bashar al
Assad would
allow Amos
into the
country. We
really don't
know, Bragg
told Inner
City Press.
Back at the
Security
Council,
closed door
consultations
were postponed
until late on
Tuesday after
a long meeting
about Timor
Leste. Some
wondered, how
could Russia
oppose Amos
going? And
after the
meeting,
Russian Deputy
Pankin told
Inner City
Press,
"he is
dispatching
her. We are
not opposing
it. She is the
chief
humanitarian
in this
organization.
She is fully
aware of the
challenges and
fully rejects
the
militarization
of aid, armed
convoys, and
protecting by
force. So she
will engage in
seeking some
arrangements,
windows,
openings."
Inner City
Press asked,
"Why
not a Security
Council
statement?"
Amb. Pankin
replied,
"Let's
see the Syrian
reaction."
Let's -- watch
this site.
, 
