ICP Asks UN Spox, Malcorra About CAR Rapes Whistleblower Kompass Quitting Amid Ban Retaliation

ICP Asks UN & Malcorra About Kompass, Qs From & Spin To Senate in DC By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, June 8 -- How low has the UN fallen, in terms of corruption, not stopping rapes, and retaliating against the Press that asks the questions? April 16 eviction here and here. May 14 New York Times here. On June 7, when Ban Ki-moon was criticized for not fully and publicly addressing the rapes, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman about the resignation of whistleblower Anders Kompass citing impunity, video here, UN transcript here and below. All Ban's spokesman would say was, "We wish him well." Right. Later on June 7, Inner City Press asked Ban's former chief of staff Susana Malcorra who is seeking to succeed him about Kompass' resignation. Periscope video here. She argued that Kompass, by "moving forward" with a file she acknowledged had gotten lost in Geneva, had put children at risk. More than the rapists? Down in Washington, Senator Bob Corker has issued a statement: U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after top United Nations (U.N.) whistleblower Anders Kompass resigned in protest over the U.N.’s failure to hold senior officials accountable for allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by peacekeeping forces and efforts to silence those who revealed them. “This resignation appears to be a damning indictment of the leadership at the United Nations that has failed to end the horrific sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers and protect those who report wrongdoing,” Corker said. “The so-called 'zero-tolerance' policy has provided cover for a culture of impunity where allegations are swept under the rug and whistleblowers are intimidated to stop them from revealing the truth. The U.S. must use its influence as the largest contributor to peacekeeping to restore accountability and oversight of missions that are supposed to be about protecting vulnerable populations and restoring stability during conflict.” Kompass’s former deputy, Miranda Brown, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing on April 13 in which Corker expressed disgust over continued reports ofSEA and the failure of the U.N. to provide accountability. “If I heard right now that a U.N. peacekeeping mission was going to North Chattanooga today, which is where my wife is, I would be on the first plane out of here to go home and protect her,” Corker said at the April 13 hearing. “I am disgusted by the actions of U.N. peacekeepers that American taxpayers are paying for, and I hope that somehow we’ll figure out a way to reel this in.” At an earlier hearing on December 9, 2015, Corker questioned U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power about the U.N. strategy to effectively address and prevent SEA. The 2017 State Department authorization bill passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April included provisions to encourage U.S. leadership at the U.N. to end SEA and protect whistleblowers. It was to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the UN sent this "Aide Memoire" purportedly justifying the UN's ouster and eviction of Inner City Press. This Aide Memoire says there was nothing in writing that the underlying meeting Inner City Press sought to cover as part of the UN bribery scandal was "closed." The Security Handbook it cites is not on the Internet, not on the UN's iSeek Internet and the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit has no copy. Inner City Press asked for that - and has asked to have its Resident Correspondent accreditation and long time shared office restored. No response from the UN, except to refer everything back to Under Secretary General Cristina Gallach, who threw Inner City Press out in the first place, without once speaking to it, other than to referring Inner City Press' questions about her role in the Ng Lap Seng bribery scandal to Ban's spokesman. This is today's UN: coming to a head. From the UN's June 7 transcript: Inner City Press: these are questions about Central African Republic but also sexual abuse. Down in Conference Room 3 this morning, in one of the side events of the HIV event, Stephen Lewis said that the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has yet to react publicly and fully to the December 2015 CAR review panel report and that they're basically putting their faith in next SG. Do you… where has he responded publicly and fully, and will he take a question on this at his stakeout later this week? Spokesman: He will take whatever question is thrown at him. Inner City Press: Really?