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23/10/2003
'Buck stops' with Annan over Iraq UN bomb failures
In a robust report into the UN headquarters bombing in Baghdad, in which 22 people died, investigators have said that "the buck stops" with the Secretary-General for the "dysfunctional" security systems in place at the compound.
What procedures were in place in Baghdad on August 19 were "sloppy" in observance, and non-compliance with regulations was "commonplace", according to the report of the panel led by Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland.
"Everyone bears responsibility: the Member States, who are asking the UN to carry out those responsibilities, and of course the Secretary-General himself - the buck stops always with the Secretary-General," Mr Ahtisaari added.
In its executive summary the report said that had security arrangements been adequate they may not have prevented the attack, but they "would certainly have minimised the vulnerability of the staff and premises and reduced the number of casualties caused by the attack".
"The main conclusion… is that the current security management system is dysfunctional. It provides little guarantee of security to UN staff in Iraq or other high-risk environments and needs to be reformed," the panel said.
Mr Ahtisaari was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in September to examine "all relevant facts about the security situation in Iraq before the attack, the UN security mechanisms, procedure and measures in place", and identify key lessons for future security arrangements.
In his briefing for reporters, the former Finnish president said: "There has been a dramatic shift. Earlier we all believed that the UN flags protected us.
"We need a much more professional approach, a professional staff, and resources available for the organisation."
(gmcg)
What procedures were in place in Baghdad on August 19 were "sloppy" in observance, and non-compliance with regulations was "commonplace", according to the report of the panel led by Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland.
"Everyone bears responsibility: the Member States, who are asking the UN to carry out those responsibilities, and of course the Secretary-General himself - the buck stops always with the Secretary-General," Mr Ahtisaari added.
In its executive summary the report said that had security arrangements been adequate they may not have prevented the attack, but they "would certainly have minimised the vulnerability of the staff and premises and reduced the number of casualties caused by the attack".
"The main conclusion… is that the current security management system is dysfunctional. It provides little guarantee of security to UN staff in Iraq or other high-risk environments and needs to be reformed," the panel said.
Mr Ahtisaari was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in September to examine "all relevant facts about the security situation in Iraq before the attack, the UN security mechanisms, procedure and measures in place", and identify key lessons for future security arrangements.
In his briefing for reporters, the former Finnish president said: "There has been a dramatic shift. Earlier we all believed that the UN flags protected us.
"We need a much more professional approach, a professional staff, and resources available for the organisation."
(gmcg)
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