At the
UN, An Absurd No at the Stakeout, Auditor Brodeur Is Sought, No Comment on
Drowned Haitians
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN
UNITED NATIONS, May
10 -- "Absurdno," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN Ambassador. He said this was
the answer of Serbs displaced from Kosovo to being told that they didn't want to
return. "Their response was immediate and emotional," Amb. Churkin said,
describing a meeting during the Security Council's recent trip to the region.
"They want to go back."
Inner
City Press had asked about a statement made earlier by Slovakia's Ambassador
Peter Burian, the questions of the internally displaced and of the Kosovo
precedent must be addressed. U.S. Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that the
votes are there for independence, if Russia does not veto. (One wag said this
was be an absurd "no.") Each day the time of decision grows closer.
At
Thursday's UN noon briefing, Inner City Press
asked
spokesperson Michele Montas:
Inner City Press: And also, and this may
be slightly, there's been this report of a ship of people leaving Haiti that was
rammed by Turks and Caicos -- that's the report -- and
many people drowned.
There's a discussion that something may be filed with the UN or not. Does the
Secretary-General, the Secretariat or you have any comment on this event in
international waters?
Spokesperson: I think it is a tragedy,
and we have no specific comment on -- this is essentially an issue right now
between Turks and Caicos Islands and Haiti.
Haiti
Inner
City Press: This is a request to get the Head of the Board of Auditors, Mr.
Brodeur. Spent a lot of time yesterday trying to find him down in the basement,
he was in different rooms. But is there some way to get, not only on the North
Korea-UNDP audit, but on a variety of things on which he audits the UN, to get
somebody from the Board of Auditors...
Spokesman: Yes, you asked that question
before, Matthew Lee, and I said yes, it is possible, and they are open to coming
and answering questions. The problem is that they have to get the agreement of
the other members of the Board to do so. And as soon as I get something I will
let you know about when they will coming and if they will be coming. But they
have expressed their willingness to talk about different issues that you’ve been
asking about concerning the Board of Auditors.
Correspondent: OK. But given that he's
the head…
Spokesperson: But you know, chasing him
in the basement is not probably the solution, the way to do it.
While
omitted from the transcript, Inner City Press repeated that Mr. Brodeur should
come to the briefing room, as Ms. Montas said he is " to coming and answering
questions." We'll see.
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