Tahar Boumedra Details Time as United Nations Special Representative To the Secretary-General
Boumedra discusses fabricating reports and misleading UN Headquarters
July 19, 2013 – IranNewsUpdate.com – Today, Iran News Update conducted an exclusive interview with former advisor to the United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary- General, Tahar Boumedra. Boumedra’s interview comes in response to United Nation’s special representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler’s, July 16, 2013 address to the United Nations Security Council. Boumedra discussed a variety of topics with Iran News Update, detailing specific situations he dealt with during his time in Iraq as well as details of specific conversations he had with his then colleague, Martin Kobler.
Boumedra claims that Kobler misled the UN headquarters in New York and instructed Boumedra and his team to manipulate reports. “We actually did manipulate reports, we even doctored pictures of Camp Liberty, Boumedra stated. “Martin Kobler instructed my team to go take pictures of Camp Liberty, select the presentable sites of Camp Liberty and share them with the international community and Ashraf citizens,” he added.
Boumedra has been vocal since his August 2012 resignation from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) about well-below par living and security conditions for the residents of Camp Liberty. Boumedra discussed two assessments that were completed, humanitarian and security, when the process of relocating residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty was being prepared – both came back negative and not meeting the required standards. Yet even with these fully prepared negative reports, Boumedra says “internal reports were buried” and Kobler made a press statement saying UNAMI human rights agreed that Camp Liberty met all required standards.
Boumedra discussed the general atmosphere for those people within UNAMI as, “People work to maintain their positions or to receive promotions. They do their job to satisfy their supervisors for wrong and for right.” However, Boumedra refused to stay quiet on injustices that were occurring.
“I will always speak my mind and tell when things go wrong,” said Boumedra. “I say this is wrong. What UNAMI and the UN are doing is absolutely immoral, illegal and it undermines the core values of the UN Charter.”
Boumedra stated how he felt UNAMI was a part of a cover-up. Adding that he refuses to remain silent, “Silence is not an option. We are dealing with a situation that is costing lives, that is hurting people, creating a lot of pain and sufferings. Absolutely unnecessary. Killing and maiming is absolutely unnecessary.”
The entire interview will be available on Iran News Update.
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