Posted on 08/10/2004 6:40:31 PM PDT by wagglebee
The United Nations has failed to organize a special force in Iraq with the limited mission of securing its own headquarters.
UN officials said member states refused to contribute to a proposed force that would protect a UN mission in Baghdad. The mission was meant to mark the return of the UN presence in Iraq after a year's absence and help organize and monitor national elections in January 2005.
The UN left Iraq in August 2003 in wake of an Al Qaida-inspired bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad. A UN report later blamed poor security for the success of the insurgency strike, which destroyed UN headquarters in Iraq.
Over the last few weeks, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan sought to establish a security force to protect the UN mission in Baghdad, Middle East Newsline reported. But Annan said nobody has pledged to commit troops.
"We haven't had much success attracting governments to sign up for the dedicated force to protect the UN personnel in Iraq and our property," Annan said. "So for the time being, for practical measures, we have no other choice but to rely on the multinational force."
Under the current arrangement, the U.S.-led coalition would provide protection for the UN mission in Baghdad. Annan did not say how many troops would be deployed. The Security Council was scheduled to hold consultations on Wednesday to discuss the UN Mission in Iraq. In a report to the council, Annan said security remains the "over-riding constraint for all UN activity in Iraq."
"In recent months, the acting UN Security Coordinator assessed the risk to UN personnel in Iraq as being in the high to critical category," a UN statement said. "The UN Mission and UN agencies will therefore continue to limit their activities inside Iraq to the essential ones."
Several member states, including Pakistan, said the recurring suicide bombings in Iraq have prevented them from sending troops to that country. The United States has also encountered numerous rejections in a plan to organize an Arab and Islamic peace-keeping force in Iraq.
Annan has appointed Ashraf Jehangir Qazi the new special representative for Iraq. In August 2003, UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello was one of 22 people killed in the bombing of UN headquarters.
And Kerry thinks the UN should be the "go to" organization for keeping us safe from terrorism?!
Oh, but we should rely on them to keep US safe?
BAH!
You see. Push comes to shove, the whole world just loves the UN THIS wide, and WEE so deep. Everything they have earned is now collectible. Only no one's paying but John Kerry and the Democratic Party.
Kerry has been bragging about his ability to form coalitions with UN folks, They cant even get help themselves, where does Kerry get off thinking he can tie them together. There are fools and damned fools anyone who votes for Kerry is a Damned fool.
Kerry will be able to talk these cowards into it, how did he say??
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