On
Syria, EU's
Georgieva Says
Delay of Int'l
Staff "Not
Black &
White"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 1 --
When the
European
Union's
Humanitarian
Affairs
Commissioner
Kristalina
Georgieva took
media
questions on
Tuesday,
her focus was
on Syria.
Inner City
Press asked
her to confirm
what
it had already
reported on
July 23, that
international
aid staff from
five
countries --
two of them in
the EU -- have
been blocked.
Georgieva
said
there have
been delays,
yes, but
called it "not
black and
white." Other
Inner City
Press sources
said the same,
that
while
international
staff from
France, the
UK, US, Canada
and
Australia have
been blocked
or delays,
others from
these
countries
have gotten
in.
While
sources told
Inner City
Press the
number of
international
staff, two
weeks ago, was
62,
Georgieva said
there are 80
international
aid staff in
Syria. She
said she
disfavors the
use of
so-called
"humanitarian
corridors,"
wondering if
these might be
used to bring
in
weapons.
Some
point to
Yemen, where
Ali Saleh at
least
ostensibly
stepped down,
as
a model for
"resolving"
Syria.
Georgieva told
a story of
visiting armed
Houthi leaders
with UNHCR
chief
Gutteres,
staring down
AK-47s and
convincing
them of the
Geneva
conventions.
Can this be
done with the
Free Syrian
Army?
Georgieva
said,
there are
areas Assad
does not
control, we
need to go in
and
say, you
cannot shoot
at ambulance
or pull people
out of them.
Yes,
that would be
good.
Meanwhile
after
as Inner City
Press reported
Tuesday
morning,
France could
not
yet come
through on its
statement it
would convene
a ministerial
meeting on
Syria as soon
as possible
after it took
over
presidency of
the Council,
it is dialing
up a briefing
by Herve
Ladsous. He is
the
fourth
Frenchman in a
row to head UN
Peacekeeping
so he is
always
ready.
Does
Ladsous share
Georgieva's
views on
humanitarian
corridors?
Georgieva
also
answered an
Inner City
Press'
question on
the Congo,
where
Ladsous' DPKO
despite
spending $1.3
billion a year
cannot even
access
much less
protect
civilians in
portions of
North Kivu --
watch this
site.
, 
