The United Nations offered few comments Monday on an exclusive CBC News story about the 2005 killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
The CBC investigation, relying on interviews with multiple sources within a UN inquiry into the killing, along with some of the inquiry's own records, found examples of timidity, bureaucratic inertia, and incompetence bordering on gross negligence in the UN probe.
One of the records lays out networks of cellphones linked to the Hariri murder. The networks were uncovered by murdered Lebanese police officer Capt. Wissam Eid and UN investigators, and they provide evidence that Hariri's assassins had ties to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"I … don’t have any comment on the substance of those documents," UN spokesman Farhan Haq said during a daily briefing at UN headquarters in New York City.
Haq said he can't confirm the authenticity of any of the documents obtained by CBC News, adding that if they are UN documents they are privileged documents that should not be "disclosed to a third party, copied or used without the consent of the United Nations, which had not been given in this case."
He added: "We had requested CBC to contact us with information regarding the documents, so that we could assess them."
The original UN probe into Hariri's murder — the UN International Independent Investigation Commission — has subsequently been transformed into the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, residing in The Hague, where Canadian Daniel Bellemare is now its chief prosecutor.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley called the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon "critically important to Lebanon's future.
"Lebanon needs to end this era of impunity, which has afflicted it for years, if not decades. And we support the work of the tribunal and we look forward to completion of its investigation," Crowley said.
Robert Orr needs a Chinese Visa to enter UN's DC2 building
Rio+20: GreenPeace Statement
Greenpeace International Executive Director has released a statement on his views of Rio+20. "The future we want has gotten a little further away today. Rio+20 has turned into an epic failure, It has failed on equity, failed on ecology and failed on economy" were Kumi Naidoo frank comments after the text for the outcome document was adopted. Please click here for the full statement.
UN Policy Coordination on the Road
DESA's Telecommuting Assistant Secretary General
Sha Zukang's behavior not appropriate...
Sha's behavior was not appropriate as a senior advisor. And he also knows that his behavior has embarrassed most of the [other] senior advisors at that time.
Mr. Chance (buy this book now)
Click on the picture and purchase this book now. It's already a best seller. It shows the coward Ban Ki Moon and his Korean team in action.
Chinese Social Affairs Department
"UN needs complete leadership overhaul"
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, who asked Ashdown to carry out the report, said the government would give its response in about six weeks.
Czech President Klaus
"...this is the time for international organizations, including the United Nations, to reduce their expenditures, make their administrations thinner, and leave the solutions to the governments of member states"
Sha Zukang Disrespectful of UN Rules
UN staff rules require employees to uphold and respect the principles set out in the Charter, including faith in fundamental human rights. They prohibit U.N. employees from accepting instructions from any government or from any other source external to the organization. UN staff should avoid any action and, in particular, any kind of public pronouncement that may adversely reflect on their status, or on the integrity, independence and impartiality that are required by that status.
Barack Obama on UN Reform
Obtain Refund of Funds Owed to the U.S. by the U.N.
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Let's raise our voices
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NyTimes disavows Ban Ki Moon
"The United States, meanwhile, should think hard about whether it wants to support Mr. Ban’s re-election" NyTimes Editorial - Nov 03, 2010
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UN at 65
State Department Spokesperson P.J. Crowley
"Sha Zukang seems to be cranky at lots of folks. It will not affect our relations with China."
UN STAFF RESOLUTION ON BAN KI MOON
If SG Ban Ki-moon fails to take immediate steps towards real reform to address these urgent systemic issues, Staff Union will consider a vote of NO-CONFIDENCE
U.N.D.E.S.A CORRUPTION
Backstabbing for Beginners
Backstabbing for Beginners is at once the darkly comic tale of one man's political coming of age and a stinging indictment of the hypocrisy that prevailed at the heart of the world's most idealistic institution.
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Regards
What will this successful Chinese Diplomat do different?
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Getting Away with Murder Part 1Neil Macdonald sheds new light on the assassination of Lebanon's Rafik Hariri, and the young captain who cracked the case before the UN could.Watch: 18:26
Getting Away with Murder Part 2Will Hezbollah, or anyone, be held responsible for Rafik Hariri's assassination?Watch: 4:39
UN and the Hariri investigationThe United Nations offered few comments Monday on an exclusive CBC News story about the 2005 killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, the CBC's Neil MacDonald reportsWatch: 3:20
Lebanon reacts to Hariri investigationThe CBC investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri is making headlines in LebanonWatch: 2:04
