More Rumors About Kofi

This excerpt from Friday's UN press briefing is interesting, both in regards to the increasing pressure from the press on Kofi's roll in oil-for-food, and the ever-increasing rumors that things are not well with the Sec. Gen.:

Question: In the [inaudible] press story the other day out of Washington, there was a mention of some other information contained in the Parton documents that you took from the Volcker Commission. And, in it, it said that there was a further unreported contact with the Masseys -- that, in fact, the Masseys wrote a letter to Kofi Annan of his trip to Baghdad in ’98 congratulating him. That letter wasn’t found in the UN files, but it was given to the Volcker Commission by Cotechna [inaudible].

Can you explain to us, especially, can you confirm that that’s true -- the Secretary-General received that letter? And, can you explain to us why that letter didn’t appear in UN files? And, also, was it among the files that were shredded?

Associate Spokesman: No, the files that I think you’re talking about belong to the Volcker Committee, and as long as the Committee is continuing its work, I can’t comment…

Question: No, that wasn’t the question. The question is, did the Secretary-General receive a letter from the Masseys in ’98 congratulating him on a trip to Baghdad, and what happened to that letter?

Associate Spokesman: I’m not aware of it, and these are issues that are being looked at by the Volcker Committee.

Question: Okay. There was a lot of trouble in the Volcker Commission about whether Kofi Annan had met one of his son’s business partners, Pierre Muselli. The question is about whether the Secretary-General has met one of his other business partners, Hanni Yamani. Can you tell us whether the Secretary-General’s ever met Hanni Yamani?

Associate Spokesman: I’m not aware that that has taken place.

Question: Can you check, please?

Associate Spokesman: Yes.

Question: I’d like an answer, I mean a definitive answer, if you could get that.

Associate Spokesman: Thank you very much.

Question: I have another question.

Associate Spokesman: Yes?

Question: The other day, a French reporter here reported that the Secretary-General was depressed. Is that true?

Associate Spokesman: No.

Question: It’s also rumoured in the building that the Secretary-General is going to resign at the reform summit in September. Is that true?

Associate Spokesman: No.

Not true that it's rumored? Not true that he'll resign "at" the summit, as opposed to after? And this exchange -- Q: I’d like an answer, I mean a definitive answer, if you could get that. A: Thank you very much. -- was just a peach in spokespersonship.