On
Chemical
Weapons,
Sellstrom
Spins Swedish
Media, Silence
on
ISIS Threat
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 21, updated
twice
-- Amid new
reports of
chemical
weapons use in
Syria, at
11:15 am Inner
City Press was
informed that
no formal
request had
yet been made
for a UN
Security
Council meeting.
Still one was
"expected."
Syria has
issued a
denial which
Inner City
Press has
obtained and puts
online here.
Update:
at 11:38 am,
Inner City
Press was told
of a request
by five countries
for a UNSC
meeting, at 3
pm or "5 pm
the latest."
Update
of 12:18 pm:
the UNSC
meeting will
be at 3 pm.
Three days ago
the UN office
of Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon told
the press
that the UN
"team
investigating
allegations
about the use
of chemical
weapons in the
Syrian Arab
Republic
arrived in
Damascus...
Please note the team will
not be
speaking to
the media."
Now,
Swedish team
leader Ake
Sellstrom is
quoted as
telling
Swedish news
agency TT that
"it sounds
like something
that should be
looked
into. It will
depend on
whether any UN
member state
goes to the
secretary
general and
says we should
look at this
event."
So
not only is
Sellstrom
"speaking to
the media,"
one from his
own country,
but he is
detailing or
advising UN
member states
how to
proceed.
Ban
Ki-moon is
leaving for
his native
South Korea on
August 21.
Saudi
Arabia, not a
member of the
Security
Council, has
called for a
Security
Council
meeting. The
UK has said it
will raise it
to the
Security
Council. For
now, no
Council
meeting is
scheduled for
August
21. There is
an August 22
session on
Sudan and
South Sudan.
Inner
City Press is
informed, at
least as of
11:15 am, that
despite their
public
statements,
either the UK
nor France nor
any other
Security
Council member
has formally
asked for a
Council
meeting on
Syria. But
it is still
predicted.
Separate
from
today's
reports of
chemical
weapons, on
August 20
there were
urgent
dispatches
that the ISIS
rebels had
ordered
humanitarian
aid workers
to leave
northern
Syria. The Free UN Coalition for Access asked if
UN
official
Valerie Amos
of her Office
for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs have
any reaction
to that. So
far, no
response.
Watch this
site.
Update:
OCHA's Amanda
Pitt has
replied:
"I
don't have any
information on
the questions
re northern
Syria. In any
case UNDSS
would be the
UN department
to comment on
security
issues.
"Re. Somalia,
I think the
Humanitarian
Coordinator
for Somalia,
Philippe
Lazzarini,
said
that
Médecins Sans
Frontierès
have helped
provide
medical
assistance to
the Somali
people under
extremely
difficult
conditions for
many years and
their
withdrawal is
a reminder
that Somalia
remains one of
the most
difficult and
dangerous
environments
in the world
for aid
workers.
"He also said
that, "While
MSF’s
contribution
will be
missed, it is
one of many
entities that
were providing
medical and
related
assistance,"
and pointed
out that MSF
is working
with
humanitarians
present in
Somalia to
minimize the
impact of
their
withdrawal.
However, I
would
definitely
suggest you
contact the
RC/HC's office
there as they
may well have
more recent
comment from
him on the
situation."
, 
