By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 25 -- After the deadly bombing of the UN compound in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad in 2003, then Secretary General Kofi Annan's spokesman said that Ramiro Lopes da Silva would be required to resign but could "return to his 'D-2' (Director) post in World Food Programme," emphasizing that "his future assignments will not include any responsibilities for security matters." Click here for UN transcript.
Two weeks ago, WFP staff contacted Inner City Press to complain that despite this history, Ramiro Lopes da Silva had been put in charge of WFP security by chief Josette Sheeran.
On October 17 Inner City Press sought an explanation from four WFP official, including spokesman Gregory Barrow and Ms. Sheeran herself:
"please respond to criticism of having put Ramiro Lopes da Silva in charge of security for WFP, given his role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing."
Only after a week had passed, and Inner City Press had published a first story, did WFP respond, through its spokesman Greg Barrow:
In response to your questions: DED Ramiro Lopes da Silva is one of WFP's most experienced senior managers, and we have the utmost confidence in him.
This did not in anyway respond to Ramiro Lopes da Silva's role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing, much less Kofi Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard's statement that "Ramiro Lopes da Silva was allowed to go back to his previous position with WFP in Rome, at his old level, with the directive that he will no longer have security responsibilities in the UN again."
Inner City Press wrote back to Barrow, and wrote directly to Ramiro Lopes da Silva
"I have asked WFP without much substantive response the question below, now having found your contact information in fairness and hoping for a response I ask you: please respond to criticism of having put Ramiro Lopes da Silva in charge of security for WFP, given his role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing. Please respond - on deadline."
Ramiro Lopes da Silva not having responded, Inner City Press asked the spokesman of Ban Ki-moon, who has inissted that UN system staff security is important to him, whether he gave Ramiro Lopes da Silva a waiver from the action of Kofi Annan after the Canal Hotel bombing, or if there was simply no UN system follow through.
