Post by cjm on Aug 30, 2016 16:58:59 GMT
The way I understand the situation is that Assad is the lesser devil. Help him to destroy ISIS etc and THEN deal with him.
UN pays tens of millions to Assad regime under Syria aid programme
Nick Hopkins and Emma Beals
Monday 29 August 2016 17.00 BST
Last modified on Tuesday 30 August 2016 00.50 BST
The UN has awarded contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to people closely associated with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as part of an aid programme that critics fear is increasingly at the whim of the government in Damascus, a Guardian investigation has found.
Businessmen whose companies are under US and EU sanctions have been paid substantial sums by the UN mission, as have government departments and charities – including one set up by the president’s wife, Asma al-Assad, and another by his closest associate, Rami Makhlouf.
The UN says it can only work with a small number of partners approved by President Assad and that it does all it can to ensure the money is spent properly.
“Of paramount importance is reaching as many vulnerable civilians as possible,” a spokesman said. “Our choices in Syria are limited by a highly insecure context where finding companies and partners who operate in besieged and hard to reach areas is extremely challenging.”
Analysis How Assad regime controls UN aid intended for Syria's children
Guardian investigation identifies dozens of deals that raise new questions about the UN’s role in Syria, and its impartiality
Read more
However, critics believe the UN mission is in danger of being compromised.
...
Nick Hopkins and Emma Beals
Monday 29 August 2016 17.00 BST
Last modified on Tuesday 30 August 2016 00.50 BST
The UN has awarded contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to people closely associated with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as part of an aid programme that critics fear is increasingly at the whim of the government in Damascus, a Guardian investigation has found.
Businessmen whose companies are under US and EU sanctions have been paid substantial sums by the UN mission, as have government departments and charities – including one set up by the president’s wife, Asma al-Assad, and another by his closest associate, Rami Makhlouf.
The UN says it can only work with a small number of partners approved by President Assad and that it does all it can to ensure the money is spent properly.
“Of paramount importance is reaching as many vulnerable civilians as possible,” a spokesman said. “Our choices in Syria are limited by a highly insecure context where finding companies and partners who operate in besieged and hard to reach areas is extremely challenging.”
Analysis How Assad regime controls UN aid intended for Syria's children
Guardian investigation identifies dozens of deals that raise new questions about the UN’s role in Syria, and its impartiality
Read more
However, critics believe the UN mission is in danger of being compromised.
...