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International
U.N. Security Chief Asked to Step Aside
2003-11-04
The U.N. security coordinator is being asked to step aside while an independent team assesses security failures that led to so many casualties in a bombing at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, U.N. officials said Monday.
Wonder how they noticed he wasn’t doing his job?
Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to appoint the team of experts on Tuesday. Tun Myat of Myanmar, who has been security chief since July 2002, will go on leave at least until their assessment is completed, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A guy from Myanmar? As chief of security? Fergawdsake! Next thing you know they’ll have a Libyan running the Commission on Human ... oh, never mind.
In a letter to over 25,000 U.N. staffers worldwide on Friday, Annan said he planned to appoint the team and pledged to take immediate action to implement waffling and nattering recommendations in a highly critical report by a U.N.-appointed panel. The report blamed ``dysfunctional’’ U.N. security for unnecessary casualties in the Aug. 19 attack that killed 22 people, including top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, and injured more than 150 others.
The first point of their dysfunction was ignoring US offers to help them with their security. And how many of the casualties were "necessary"?
Annan told the staff he was reviewing ``the serious weaknesses’’ in the management of the U.N. security system, as well as the threats facing U.N. missions worldwide so as to be able to stonewall better. Annan said Monday that he plans to make security changes this week. Annan stressed that U.N. security will be tightened worldwide. Last week, Annan ordered the temporary withdrawal of the U.N.’s international staff from Baghdad for consultations with a team from U.N. headquarters following an upsurge in attacks. Fewer than 20 foreign staff were still in the Iraqi capital.
They won’t be back until the cafes, hotels and shops take Diners Club a new government is installed.
Posted by:Steve White

#3  The Un can be tighter on security. They have plenty of automatic weapons stashed in New York.
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-11-4 1:20:54 PM  

#2  Annan told the staff he was reviewing ``the serious weaknesses’’ in the management of the U.N.

Kinda hard to do when you're the biggest cause of the UN's weaknesses, Kofi. MIS-management is the name of the game at the UN, beginning at the top.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-11-4 12:36:01 PM  

#1  I hope the UN won't be back period.
Posted by: Charles   2003-11-4 4:44:01 AM  

00:00