Two days ago, the UN Spokesperson [Michele Montas] at UNHQ/NY denied that SG BAN KI-MOON was going to Baghdad:
“Question: Michèle, is the Secretary-General going to meet the President of Syria, al Assad?
Spokesperson: I can check. I don’t know. I don’t know.
Question: Okay, because a media source is telling me that he is going to meet him, that the news is broken. Is he visiting Baghdad also?
Spokesperson: No, he is not visiting Baghdad. And he is not going to Syria.
Question: He is not going to Syria?
Spokesperson: No, he is not…
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db070320.doc.htm
OK.
Another day, another UN spokesperson [Marie Okabe] …
Highlights from Daily Noon Briefing on Thursday 22 March 2007:
“Although we could not mention this in advance because of security concerns, the Secretary-General today made a one-day visit to Iraq, where he met with Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki to discuss the United Nations’ commitment to help the people of Iraq. Asked about an explosion that was heard as the press conference was taking place, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General and his delegation were all fine, and she noted that the Secretary-General answered two more questions following that blast and complete the rest of his programme in Baghdad. Okabe confirmed that there had been a mortar attack, which, according to two sources, took place in an open field about 100 meters away from the compound where the press conference took place. No one was reported hurt. She said that the UN Mission was investigating the incident. But, she noted, the Mission told her that such incidents occur daily in Iraq … Asked why the trip to Iraq had not been announced, and why traveling press had not come along, Okabe stressed security concerns, and noted that the procedures followed for this trip were the same as for Kofi Annan’s 2005 trip. Asked about the rest of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s itinerary in the Middle East, the Spokeswoman said that he will proceed with his Middle East trip as previously announced, starting with his visit to Cairo on Friday. Asked about other stops, she noted his visit to the Arab League summit next week in Saudi Arabia, and also mentioned the schedule of stops that had been previously announced[???], including Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan and Lebanon. Asked whether the Secretary-General would visit Damascus or Iran on this current trip, the Spokeswoman said she was not aware of such visits, but recalled that he would meet different leaders at the Arab League summit.
Asked about the UN role in Iraq, the Spokeswoman said that the Secretary-General had identified the UN’s role in the Iraq Compact as one of the four key issues on his trip, along with Lebanon, the Middle East peace process and Darfur. She noted that some 100 delegations had attended the Iraq Compact meeting last week in New York. Asked whether the United Nations would expand its role in Iraq, Okabe said that the Secretary-General has made clear his intention to do more to help the Iraqi people, depending on the security conditions on the ground.
Asked about her personal impressions concerning the mortar attack, the Spokeswoman said that she had seen a video in which the Secretary-General briefly ducked and then stood up and resumed the press conference, while Prime Minister al-Maliki stood beside him. She described herself as relieved. She also voiced sorrow once more about what had happened to Sergio Vieira de Mello.”
[You could get the impression that Sergio Vieira de Mello was the only person killed in the bombing of UNHQ/Baghdad in August 2003]
http://www.un.org/News/ossg/hilites.shtml
Yesterday, the UN Spokesperson was asked if Iranian President Ahmadinejad had asked for an appointment to meet the UNSG BAN:
“Question: Michèle, the Iranian President is obviously planning to come here. Has he asked for an appointment with Mr. Secretary-General in advance?
Spokesperson: Well, the Secretary-General will not be in New York, as you know.
Question: Because it’s not definite when Mr. Ahmadinejad will be here, have they asked for appointments in advance, you know.
Spokesperson: Not that I know of. And as you know, the Secretary-General will be away until the second of April.
[The Spokesperson later added that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was departing United Nations Headquarters tomorrow for the Middle East. She added that the Security Council had not scheduled a vote on the draft resolution and, if speculation proved true that the vote might take place this week or next, then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would not be able to meet with the Iranian Head of State, as he would be on the Middle East tour until 2 April.]”
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db070321.doc.htm
Today, another UN Spokesperson was asked if the Iranian President had asked to meet the President of the UN Security Council. Here is an undecipherable answer:
“Asked about a possible visit by Iran’s President to see the Security Council, the Spokeswoman said that the President of Iran had sent a letter to the Security Council President, expressing his interest in such a visit. However, she said, UN Protocol has not received any official request from Iran so far.”
http://www.un.org/News/ossg/hilites.shtml
How do you ask for an appointment with the UNSG: This was explained in yesterday’s Noon Briefing:
Question: Also, who is this Mr. Kim they are talking about in the Secretary-General’s office, that he is somebody to know in order to get an appointment with the Secretary-General? I’m not saying that I will be using it. I’m just saying, who is Mr. Kim?
Spokesperson: Mr. Kim is the Deputy Chef de Cabinet in Mr. Ban’s office.
Question: I have a couple of questions. I just want to ask one follow-up … Is Mr. Kim an ASG level? Was he appointed an ASG?
Spokesperson: I don’t know at what level he is. I can tell you that he is Deputy Chef de Cabinet.
Question: I guess…I think there were some that were thinking if somebody’s appointed ASG or USG that somehow that would be announced. You know what I mean?
Spokesperson: Yes, well …
Question: Can we find out if he’s an ASG or not? Just as a factual…
Spokesperson: Sure.
Question: In the event that you determine that this Mr. Kim is in fact an ASG, would that not automatically make Mr. Nambiar a USG?
Spokesperson: I don’t know those details. I can try to find out for you at what level”.
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db070321.doc.htm
And, in the event you were wondering about how the journalists are selected to accompany the SG, the process is totally objective and transparent, of course — that’s why the journalists have to ask about it in the Daily Briefing (yesterday):
“Question: Michèle, in addition to the 11 journalists, who else is accompanying the Secretary-General to the Arab Summit? Are there any United Nations high officials going with him?
Spokesperson: I know that Under-Secretary-General [for Political Affairs Lynn] Pascoe [from the U.S.] will be with the Secretary-General on that trip. And there are other officials that will be also there. I will get a list for you. I don’t have a list with me at this point.
Question: As long as we’re on this subject, how were those eleven chosen and will the list of the 11 will be made public?
Spokesperson: Of the 11 journalists?
Question: Yes.
Spokesperson: Sure, it can be made public. Every time the Secretary-General goes on a trip there are journalists going with him. It’s a public thing. And, actually, the journalists who go with the Secretary-General are people who applied to go. And some people, they have to pay for part of the expenses, as you know, and some of them, their editors just say no. Some people are willing to go and cannot go, so it’s not a question of…we don’t pick the names out of a hat.
Question: What about journalists who applied and were not accepted, were rejected, whatever, were not invited?
Spokesperson: Because we cannot bring 40 people with us. There is a limited number of people we can bring. Yes?
Question: Then, my real question is, can we know what criteria were applied in choosing those people? That clearly is a question.
Spokesperson: Well, our first priority was journalists from the region or covering the region, or people who are interested in what is happening there. We had a number of applications that were accepted on that basis. The criteria are very clear.
Question: I thought it was on the basis of dashing good looks and rapier wit …
Spokesperson: [laughter] Thank you very much”.
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db070319.doc.htm