INADEQUACY AT THE UN?:

Report: U.N. Responsible in Baghdad Blast (EDITH M. LEDERER, November 1, 2003, Associated Press)

Senior U.N. officials must share responsibility for serious lapses and ``inadequate precautions'' that caused unnecessary injuries in the bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, a confidential report says for the first time.

The highly critical report, obtained late Friday by The Associated Press, said World Health Organization medical authorities estimated that ``perhaps as many as 80 percent of the injuries and perhaps some deaths were caused by flying shards of glass'' from windows that did not have shatter resistant film. [...]

That report was prepared by a U.N.-appointed panel chaired by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari who said the United Nations must address the issue of accountability.

The U.N. investigators cited in the report seen Friday paint a picture of an organization that was "strongly influenced by considerations of image, politics, funding, and enthusiasm to deliver programs'' in deciding to send U.N. staff back to Iraq after the U.S.-led war - and that didn't pay enough attention to their security.

Image over substance? At the UN? Perish the thought.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 1, 2003 9:11 AM