Assad's
Shabeeha
Urged by Annan
to Disarm
& "Work
With UN," More
Mood?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 22 --
Kofi Annan's
call to lay
down weapons
and "work
with the UN"
extends not
only to Syrian
governmental
and
opposition
forces, but
also to the
pro-Assad
shabeeha
militias,
Annan's
spokesman
Ahmad Fawzi
told Inner
City Press on
Sunday.
Earlier
in the day
Annan issued a
statement that
"I urge all
forces whether
governmental,
opposition or
others to put
down their
weapons and
work
with the
United Nations
monitors."
Inner
City Press
wondered, and
asked Fawzi,
what forces
with weapons
are these
"others,"
neither
governmental
or opposition?
Some
hours later,
Fawzi replied
answer this
(and three
other
question),
starting that
"There
are
armed groups
close to the
government
(shabeeha).
Opposition and
uniformed
government
forces do not
have a
monopoly on
weapons."
The
answer is
appreciated.
Still, it
seems strange
to also call
on these
militia
mercenaries to
"work with the
UN monitors."
How?
In
terms of the
now-approved
monitoring
mission's
work, Inner
City Press
asked Fawzi,
"on air
assets, is the
ideal / idea
to use UN
system
aircraft
from other
missions?"
Fawzi
replied,
"The UN
prefers to use
its own
chartered
aircraft if
and when
possible."
Inner
City Press
also asked
Fawzi, "what's
the process
for (and
status of)
choosing the
force
commander?"
Sources
in
Norway told
Inner City
Press that
Robert Mood,
the General
who
abruptly left
Damascus
leading
Russian
Ambassador to
the UN Vitaly
Churkin to
call him
unprofessional,
appeared on
Norwegian TV
to say
he is awaiting
word from the
UN and would
return to
Syria. What
would
Churkin and
Russia say?
Here
is what Fawzi
said, in
response to
Inner City
Press: "Force
Commanders
are, I
believe,
nominated by
Member States
via DPKO, and
appointed by
the
Secretary
General."
So
will Norway
nominate Mood?
Watch this
site
Here
is Fawzi's
response:
From:
Ahmad
Fawzi
Date: Sun, Apr
22, 2012 at
5:14 PM
Subject: Re:
Hi,
Press Qs on
"other" forces
in corrected
statement,
Friday
patrols,
aircraft,
thanks
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Hi.
1)
There
are armed
groups close
to the
government
(shabeeha).
Opposition
and uniformed
government
forces do not
have a
monopoly on
weapons.
2)
I
put the
following
clarification
out on Friday:
"Comments
by
UN Observer
Team Leader
Col. Himmiche
today were
taken out of
context. There
is no policy
not to 'work'
Fridays.
Today
the
UN Observers
were
regrouping,
dealing with
administrative
and
logistical
issues,
liaising with
the UN country
team and
planning for
their patrol
(to Homs)
tomorrow."
3)
Force
Commanders
are, I
believe,
nominated by
Member States
via DPKO,
and appointed
by the SG.
4)
The
UN prefers to
use its own
chartered
aircraft if
and when
possible.
Best,
Ahmad
On
April 20 Inner
City Press
asked
US State
Department
Spokeperson
Victoria
Nuland:
Inner
City
Press: The
Moroccan
colonel who’s
leading the UN
team there
now has been
quoted that
he’s not going
to take his
team out on
Fridays. He
doesn’t want
to be used
politically.
There’s a
quote
to that
effect. And
I’m just
wondering,
since it seems
that one of
the purposes
of the
observer
mission is to
allow people
to protest,
and that’s a
big day they
want to
protest, what
would the U.S.
think of that?
MS.
NULAND:
Well, first of
all, I haven’t
seen the
comments of
the
Moroccan lead.
As I said, all
of the
modalities for
these
peacekeepers
are being
reviewed based
on the
experience of
the
initial group,
and they have
to be worked
out through a
new Security
Council
resolution,
and obviously,
we have to see
how it goes on
the
ground.
Transcript
here.
More has been
written since,
about the
Colonel's
comments. So
Inner City
Press has
asked Fawzi:
"do
you
have a comment
or gloss on
the Moroccan
colonel saying
the
observers
would go out
on Fridays, to
not be used?
On Friday I
asked
the US State
Department,
particularly
in light of
Friday being
a/the
big protest
day, but they
hadn't yet
seen the
quote. Can you
comment
or explain the
Colonel's
statement?"
The
question was
asked
answered, and
immediately
published
here. Watch
this site.
, 
