The U.N. Security Council on Thursday approved new arrangements proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to protect an expanded U.N. staff in Iraq. Annan is currently allowing just 35 international staffers in Iraq because of escalating violence and security concerns there. He pulled all U.N. international staff out of Iraq a year ago following two bombings at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad directly as a result of lousy security and a spate of attacks on humanitarian workers, and he allowed only a small staff to return in August. The Security Council authorized a separate U.N. protection force on June 8, but to date not a single country has pledged any troops. As a result, the U.S.-led multinational force has stepped in to provide security.
| Not that we get any credit, of course. |
In a letter to the council, Annan outlined security arrangements for the U.N. staff in addition to the protection provided by the multinational force. The secretary-general said U.N. security would consist of four elements - international security staff, protection coordination officers, personal security details and guard units. He said member states will be asked to provide three guard units, each comprising up to 160 armed civilian police, paramilitary or military personnel. Council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fiji has agreed to provide one of these units.
| Wonder if the French will ante up. And dang it, I was hoping for Samoans -- no one messes with Samoans. |
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