Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the United Nations to Wall Street to the Inner City

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 7 -- At an earlier stage of the conflict in Syria, the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations ran an observer mission, on which DPKO boss Herve Ladsous abruptly pulled the plug in July 2012.

  But, Inner City Press has learned, that wasn't the end of it. Within DPKO planning continued, in the absence of any mandate from the Security Council. DPKO source have exclusively complained to Inner City Press that they were planned for two scenarios: either a negotiated transition, or a violent overthrown or assassination.

  But US President Barack Obama's announced desire to fire missiles at Syria and "degrade" the Assad government's capability is NOT something the UN was preparing for, the sources complained.

  The UN has in the past done such planning without mandate or consent. On Libya, Inner City Press exclusively put online a plan developed by then UN official Ian Martin providing for 200 of more UN peacekeepers. Once exposed, the new leadership in Libya opposed the plan.

  On Syria, the UN's planning is accountable to no constituency at all, except perhaps Herve Ladsous' France, which he served as a diplomat for decades, including as Deputy Permanent Representative in the Security Council during the Rwanda genocide, arguing for the escape of the genocidaires into Eastern Congo, on which Ladsous now acts as head of UN DPKO.

  Ladsous coordinated with his native France during their intervention in Mali, which Francois Hollande while at the G20 essentially admitted was in violation or absence of a Security Council mandate -- why not in Syria?

Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos' answer to Inner City Press on September 6, that at least 11 UN staff have been killed in Syria, combined with spokesperson Farhan Haq's response to Inner City Press' follow-up, that UN staff have been taken hostage by armed rebel groups, have given rise to questions.

  Wouldn't or don't such armed opposition groups have leverage over the UN, holding UN staff as hostages? Why has the UN been so quiet about the eleven deaths and the uncounted hostages, when the UN is so quick to make threats to armed groups in say, Eastern Congo? Who's working for whom? Watch this site.

Footnotes: following US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power's speech Friday to the Center for American Progress, her predecessor Susan Rice will speak Monday to the New America Foundation.

  Inner City Press asked if there would be Q&A, and NAF chief Anne-Marie Slaughter graciously replied, "not much, I'm afraid." It's too bad: there are questions to be answered -- even as the Gulf and Western scribes at the UN on the Executive Committee of the UN Correspondents Association, after trying to block questions, and at least as to Reuters UN bureau, spying for the UN, now engaged and engage even this Saturday in anonymous social media trolling and outright counterfeiting to try to undermine Inner City Press. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.