As UN Denies It Covered Up Kabul Murder of UN Workers, De Mistura Dodges, Nesirky Lashes Out at "Blog" Quoting Staff
By Matthew Russell Lee
April 21, 2010
The Inner City Press
Original Source: 
http://www.innercitypress.com/unleak5afgh042110.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 -- With questions mounting about whether and why the Afghan National forces killed UN security officer Louis Maxwell in Afghanistan last October, and why the UN said nothing publicly about this until being repeatedly asked about it last week, things heated up Wednesday at the UN in New York.
  After in Kabul Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's representative Staffan de Mistura dodged Afghan television questions about Maxwell's death, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky, lashed out at Inner City Press' use in a "blog" of the word "cover up" This is how UN staff in Kabul who raised the issue to Inner City Press characterize the UN's response.
  Inner City Press on Wednesday asked Nesirky if the UN has in its possession the weapon assigned to Louis Maxwell, or whether it was stolen during, and perhaps as the goal of, his murder. A witness has come forward about the
"people died in the guesthouse about forty yards from my door. One of those people was an American by the name of Louis Maxwell, a security guard for the United Nations...Louis Maxwell committed himself effectively and honorably and survived the Taliban attack. It was only after he came down from the roof, and after the ANP had secured the compound, that he was killed. According to video obtained by the UN, he was shot at point-blank range by Afghan police in the courtyard of the guesthouse. The reason? They wanted his gun."
  Inner City Press asked Nesirky to state, yes or no, if the UN has Maxwell's gun in its possession. Rather than answer this question, Nesirky went into a seemingly prepared statement that, "let's be clear, you have written that' management of information is one thing, cover up and lies are another'... that is outrageous."
When Inner City Press explained that cover up and lies precisely the characterizations used by the UN staff in Kabul who have raised this to Inner City Press, Nesirky chided Inner City Press for not then putting the words in quotes and presumably identifying the speaker. But the UN has a history of retaliating against whistleblowers, so it is perhaps this request -- and misuse of the bully pulpit of the UN's briefing room rostrum -- which some find outrageous.
Once the UN became aware -- and more, with the video footage -- that Maxwell may have been executed by Afghan National forces, why did it say nothing publicly? Nesirky did not answer.
If this "Board of Inquiry," Ban Ki-moon's awareness of which his spokesman Nesirky would not describe, were to conclude that there is no definitive evidence Maxwell was killed by a particular member of the Afghan National forces, would the UN ever have disclosed the doubts and inquiry?
In Kabul, Ban's SRSG di Mistura was asked:
TV ONE [translated from Dari]: In view of recent comments by a UN spokesperson, I want to know your views on the UN staff member killed in the Bakhtar attack?
SRSG: Can I first reply to questions on the elections? Today we are focusing on questions on elections, but I will come back to you.
  Before Inner City Press began asking questions about the death of Louis Maxwell, it received this and other requests:
Dear Matthew,
I wish to bring to your attention the disgraceful lack of action by the UN Secretary General in response to aspects of the tragic attack upon the Bakhtar Guesthouse in Kabul, Afghanistan on 28 October 2009 which resulted in the deaths of five UN staff members and injuries to many others. I am referring to the following facts which came to light during the investigation.
* UN Security Officer, Louis Maxwell, (US citizen), who heroically resisted the attackers thus allowing many others to successfully escape, was summarily executed at point blank range by an Afghan National Army member while in their custody, unarmed and not offering any resistance. The extra-judicial killing was captured on video by a staff member of the German Embassy and copies were provided to UN investigators. The video has since been posted on the German 'Der Spiegel' media site although they have failed to realise (or at least publish) what exactly it is they are airing. In the aftermath of the incident many Afghan security forces are interviewed on camera by the local Afghan media and one Army Officer admits killing an 'Arab' terrorist outside the guesthouse. (Mr. Maxwell was an African American). Irrespective of whether he was mistaken for one of the attackers, his killing was nothing short of murder. UN SG Ban has refused to allow the issue to be raised with the Afghan government for political reasons and wants the US authorities to handle the 'problem.'
* Three of the other staff members killed during the incident were actually shot by indiscriminate and undisciplined fire from the Afghan security forces. The only staff member to actually die from the attackers actions was the UNICEF staff member who burned to death.
SG Ban needs media pressure to explain his failure to follow up on this crime with the Government of Afghanistan to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
   Again, once the UN became aware -- and more, with the video footage -- that Maxwell may have been executed by Afghan National forces, why did it say nothing publicly? Does the UN have in its possession Louis Maxwell's weapon? Watch this site.