'Knives Fly,' Heads Roll at U.N.

U.N. chief Kofi Annan has named a third panel to investigate reforms of its security operations as a result of the Aug. 19 bombing of its Baghdad headquarters, which left 22 dead and almost 100 seriously wounded.

Because of the latest investigation, Annan temporarily suspended his security chief, Tun Myat, and Ramiro Lopes da Silva, who ran operations for the U.N. in Baghdad.

Tun was replaced by Catherine Bertini, currently the U.N.'s human resources director and former head of the World Food Program. Bertini, a U.S. citizen and well connected in Washington, is arguably the most powerful American now serving under Annan.

The latest investigation and subsequent personnel shuffles are just the latest moves growing out of the attack on the U.N.'s Iraq headquarters.

U.N. sources tell NewsMax they expect "more heads to roll and at a higher level."

Current Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette (Canada) who had been assigned security responsibilities by Annan, was criticized by an earlier investigatory panel as not being qualified to handle those chores. Though Annan has remained publicly supportive, word is she may be on borrowed time.

U.S. diplomatic sources tell NewsMax that the panel's report (released Oct. 21) "was devastating" and Washington could not see how Annan "could avoid rolling heads."

Several senior Annan staffers are said to be on "thin ice," claims a U.N. source.

U.N. staffers speak of "knives flying" behind the scenes.

NewsMax has leaned of a security field survey commissioned by Annan when the U.N. decided to reopen its Baghdad headquarters in May.

The survey is said to have been concerned with a number of issues, especially a lack of experienced, trained security personnel available for duty in the Iraqi capital.

The report is said to had gotten "bogged down" inside the U.N. bureaucracy during the summer months.

Then came the August attack.

While the U.N. admits there had been numerous "meetings" by U.N. officials during the summer to discuss the "situation" in Baghdad, NewsMax has learned that Annan himself attended several of those meetings.

"He was there, he spoke, he opted not to do anything," says one source familiar with the gatherings.

"It's all a con job" relented a U.N. security veteran. "They [Annan's staff] will do whatever they can to save their jobs."

Here is the U.N. statement on security issues:

STATEMENT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

On staff security

The Secretary-General is giving close attention to the Report of the Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of United Nations Personnel in Iraq, headed by Mr. Maarti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland.

In response to one of its main recommendations, the Secretary-General has established a team to determine accountability at all managerial levels at Headquarters and in the field to review responsibilities for relevant decisions prior to the attack on 19 August 2003 in Baghdad.

The team will be headed by Mr. Gerald Walzer, former Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. The other members of the team will be Mr. Srinath Basnayake, former Director of the General Legal Division of OLA, Mr. Kevin Carty, Assistant Commissioner of the Irish National Police and Mr. Stuart Groves, Senior Security Manager, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva.

The team will hold its first organizational meeting very shortly, and Mr. Walzer has been asked to present its findings to the Secretary-General with the least possible delay. The team will determine its methodology and will interview those individuals, both UN officials and others, who it considers will be able to provide it the information it requires.

Mr. Ramiro Lopes da Silva, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq and Mr. Tun Myat, UN Security Coordinator, have asked to be relieved of their present responsibilities while the team conducts its work. Accordingly, the Secretary-General has decided that they will take special leave until mid-January, while remaining available to the team to provide relevant information. During this period, the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator will be overseen by the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Ms. Catherine Bertini.

New York, 4 November, 2003

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

United Nations