Africa-Press – Liberia. The George Weah-led government has taken serious exception to a report by blogger Michael Rubin in his 1945 blog post suggesting that the President and his delegation attending the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York were subjected to detention at the John F. Kennedy Airport for several hours while immigration and customs enforcement officials treated them as ordinary travelers rather than VIPs in a sign of the US’s growing frustration with the Weah administration.
Report by Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
FrontPageAfrica
has learned that no member of the Weah administration was issued a C2 visa on the current UNGA trip. While the report may have pulled information about an actual visa category, it doesn’t appear that the actual C2 visa was issued.
Rubin claimed in his 1945 blog post that after clearing custom, President Weah found himself without any security escort to Manhattan. “He then discovered that the State Department issued him and his delegation only C2 visas that restricted Weah and his entourage to the United Nations Headquarters District until his departure to the airport for his return trip. The regulations define the district as lying within a twenty-five-mile radius of Columbus Circle.”
Rubin describes himself as a 1945 Contributing Editor and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
Under Department of State (DOS) regulations in 22 C.F.R. 41.71 [link], an alien described in paragraphs (3), (4), or (5) of section 11 of the Headquarters Agreement with the United Nations may qualify for admission in the C2 category if he or she is applying for admission solely in transit to the United Nations Headquarters District.The regulation defines the “immediate vicinity of the United Nations Headquarters District” as the “area lying within a twenty-five mile radius of Columbus Circle, New York, NY.”
It is totally preposterous and unfounded. It shows the extent and desperation that these hired guns, mercenaries of the pen that have been rented by Mr. Alexander Cummings will go. Upon his arrival, President George Weah and the designated seven members of his entourage were escorted by at least six US Secret Service agents to his convoy and driven away by police pilot.
Mr. Lenn Eugene Nagbe, Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority, who is on the President’s delegation to the UNGA, described the Rubin report, as nothing but a pack of lies from paid agents of Mr. Alexander Cummings, head of the opposition Alternative National Congress. “All this is sophomoric propaganda that is beginning to boomerang on the perpetrators. The writer is a paid hack plain and simple.”
Commissioner Nagbe continued: “It is totally preposterous and unfounded. It shows the extent and desperation that these hired guns, mercenaries of the pen that have been rented by Mr. Cummings will go. President Weah and the designated seven members of his entourage were escorted by at least six Secret Service agents to his convoy and driven away by police pilot. The President is being given all due courtesies with around-the-clock security protection. What’s the issue?”
Commissioner Nagbe said just last week, US President Joe Biden wrote another letter to President Weah regarding his attendance at the US-Africa Summit scheduled for December 13-15 in Washington DC. Just last week. “Do you invite a restricted person to your house?” the commissioner asked.
Commissioner Nagbe said both he and Gender Minister Piso Saydee Tarr completed a working session at the State Department to discuss preparatory issues for the Democracy Summit scheduled for early next year where the President is among just 18 African Presidents and other World leaders that have been invited. “Our relationship with the United States is strong.”
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
