U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has instructed his security officers not to force inspections of ambassadors or their cars when they enter the world body's headquarters in NYC.
This despite repeated criticisms that security at U.N. facilities, both in the United States and abroad, is seriously deficient.
The security memo, dated Oct. 29, 2003, and obtained by NewsMax, first explains that "all vehicles (and persons) entering UNHQ must be inspected."
Then, in the next sentence, the memo says: "... if a permanent representative refuses [to permit an inspection] allow him to pass and enter, but note the delegate's name, date and time." Other than the notation, no other action is called for.
The decision came on the same day another memo from Andrew Toll, a U.N. assistant secretary-general to the U.N.'s chief legal counsel, Hans Corell, spoke of an "increase in comments and concerns from [U.N.] staff regarding security issues ... in New York, this seems to be felt even stronger."
In 1994, an FBI investigation led to accusations that Libya's U.N. mission may have assisted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
It was believed the Libyans had intended to store vans loaded with explosives in the U.N.'s underground parking garage, which extends three stories beneath First Avenue.
While security has improved at the U.N. facility, numerous officers say it is still "a joke," especially with more than 200 ambassadors and their cars immune to inspection.
It should be noted that whenever President Bush visits the United
Nations, the entire parking facility is normally shut down with
no one (ambassadors included) granted access.
The garage is also directly beneath the 38-story Secretariat building, which houses more than 5,000 workers.
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