Highly doubtful. Hypocrites.
B
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7141692.stm
UN horrified by Algiers bombings
By Laura Trevelyan
BBC News, New York
The two bombings in Algiers on Tuesday by an affiliate of al-Qaeda killed at
least 11 UN employees. It appears UN offices were deliberately targeted.
The attack was the deadliest against UN staff since August 2003, when 22
were killed by a bomb in Baghdad.
At the world body's headquarters in New York, the UN flag is flying at half
mast, a mark of respect to those who died in the line of duty in Algeria.
The mood at the UN is sombre and staff have called for a full investigation.
They want to discover whether adequate security measures were in place to
prevent such a horrifying act.
'Attack on us all'
Babacar Ndiaye, Hanniche Abel-Rahim, Nabil Slimani, Adnane Souliah, Kamel
Sait, Hind Boukroufa, Djamel Rezzoug, Steven Olejas and Gina Luna were among
those killed.
Diplomats in the General Assembly hall on Wednesday applauded as the
Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said via video link from Bali: "Let us know
that this attack on the UN is an attack on us all and our highest
ideals."For UN staff in New York, this is the worst attack on their
colleagues since the 2003 bombing of the UN's headquarters in Iraq. Among
those killed was the revered head of the mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
"It claimed the lives of some of our best and brightest," said Mr Ban.
"We have taken many measures since then to enhance the security of our staff
and premises around the world."
What is so worrying for UN staff is the way the organisation itself seems to
have become a target for militants. Diplomats describe this as an alarming
development.
UN employees see themselves as neutral arbiters in the world's many complex
disputes - there to help, not be attacked.
As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said: "The UN is
an entity that works for world peace, an entity that tries to be an honest
broker, especially when dealing with the humanitarian needs of refugees and
other victims of violence and persecution.
"This makes this type of attack even more absurd," he added.
'Off limits'
In the staff canteen that concern was echoed.
"The targeting of UN workers is now very new and unfortunate," Natabara
Rollosson from the UN children's agency, Unicef, told the BBC.
Some people... see humanitarian work as a political component of war
- and I think that shift is really unfortunate
Natabara Rollosson
Unicef
"In the past, it's my understanding, it has been an unspoken rule that they
are just off limits as targets," he added.
"It's like the people who carry stretchers in war, there's no use and
there's no purpose to target them. But for some people they see humanitarian
work as a political component of war. And I think that shift is really
unfortunate."
A man who wished to remain anonymous said: "The missions are still worth it
because the ideals and the goals are still much higher and more honourable."
"And I think the people who died, died for a worthy cause. As civilians,
it's very sad, but I guess it's the price we pay for fighting for peace and
fighting for stability."
Before the Algiers attack, 19 UN staff had been killed during 2007.
The UN has a duty to protect its staff, but it is also trying to help
people, and so it must be accessible. That creates a vulnerability which can
be exploited.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
--------------------------
Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
--------------------------
Brooks Isoldi, editor
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.intellnet.org
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has
not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of
The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT
YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of
intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods,
techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other
intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use
this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,'
you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
