U.N.
Security Chief Resigns Over Suicide Blast in Algiers
The
United Nation's security chief, David Veness of Britain, resigned on June
24th after an investigation linked security lapses to a December suicide
attack on U.N. offices in Algeria, which left 17 staff members dead and
40 wounded. A U.N. panel found that U.N. officials disregarded realistic
threats from extremist groups in the year leading up to the bombing.
The panel's report discovered ‘ample evidence that several staff
members up and down the hierarchy may have failed to respond adequately
to the Algiers attack both before and after the tragedy.’ For two
years, U.N. officials have been aware that al Qaeda and other extremist
groups target U.N. buildings and personnel, but no extra precautions were
taken in Algiers to guard the 124 international and national staff members.
The report also states that Algeria did not listen to U.N. requests to
tighten security, such as a request for speed bumps and barriers around
the U.N. offices. Algeria also ignored appeals to share intelligence with
U.N. security officials and downplayed the need to raise the security
threat level regardless of an increase in terror attacks.
U.N. Security General Ban Ki-moon said Veness ‘was willing to shoulder
full responsibility for any security lapses that may have occurred in
the context of the heinous terrorist attack on the United Nations in Algiers.’
