UN's Algiers Bombing Accountability Report Is Late, Amid Music for Baghdad

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1bombs081908.html

UNITED NATIONS, August 19 -- As the UN commemorated the deadly bombing of its headquarters in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad five years ago, the supposed deadline had passed for its report imposing personal accountability for the deaths from the blast of its premises in Algiers last December. On June 24, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "accepted Mr. Brahimi's suggestion that a group headed by Ralph Zacklin urgently examine this question of individual accountability and report its results to him within a period of six weeks."

But nearly seven weeks later, with no report submitted or released, Inner City Press on August 19 asked Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq

Inner City Press: on the follow-up on the Algiers bombing of the UN premises, the second report, the so-called accountability report, the Brahimi report, what was the deadline for it to be done and where does it stand?

Associate Spokesperson Haq: As you know, there was a two-month deadline from the start of that body's work; Ralph Zacklin, as you know, is the head of that body and he and that group are proceeding with the work and as far as I am aware, the report is not finished yet. It’s still in the process of being finalized.

Again, Ban Ki-moon did not announce a two-month deadline, but rather six weeks, which has expired. Inner City Press has fielded complaints that the Zacklin panel's interviews were disproportionately directed at relatively lower level staff, who were not allowed to be accompanied by the UN Staff Union much less by lawyers. Personal accountability, indeed.

When the report is belatedly released, watch to see if it takes into account how concern about the investment climate in Algeria kept the threat level artificially low. Even the redacted Brahimi report issued by the UN raises questions of accountability. It states for example "the Designated Official was neither forceful nor persistent with the Algerian authorities to insist on the security measures requested of the Government." (Page 25). This Designated Officer was, in fact, an official of the UN Development Program, Marc de Bernis. As is so often the case with UNDP, de Bernis not only didn't press the host country government in any way -- he allowed himself and the UN system safety issues to be marginalized. The UN-released Brahimi report stated

"As noted in the preliminary DSS report on the 11 December 2007 attack, all contact by the UN Designated Official for Security (DO) and the Security Adviser (SA) with the national security authorities occurred through the Director General for Protocol (DGP) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). This restricted contact with security agencies was not limited to the UN; diplomatic missions in Algiers also conduct their security relations through the DGP/MFA. This is the practice in a number of other countries."

Having access to the preliminary DSS report, we find in paragraph 7 that there was an exception, for "large embassies." Why didn't the UN, with multiple agencies represented in Algeria, get for itself as much access as large embassies of its member states?

At Tuesday's memorial event, the President of the UN Staff Union stressed "the obligation of those who call upon UN staff to serve in difficult and dangerous parts of the world to take whatever action is necessary to ensure staff safety and security, including public relations efforts to cultivate the understanding that the UN is a neutral, benevolent organization." Then a four-movement composition by Steve Heitzog was unveiled. As played by the Daedalus Quartet, the music was moving. Mr. Heitzog's written "Notes" describes "an explosively ugly chord" then a "delicate theme pitched in C major that is transparent and healing." One can only hope.

Several attendees at Tuesday's service mentioned Samantha Power's book "Chasing the Flame." Inner City Press' copy is double dog-earred at page 465, where it is reported that "CNN did have a crew on the scene who at the time of the blast had been filming a press conference on the UN's de-mining efforts." Multiple sources have told Inner City Press that Ms. Power has fielded complaints that it was in fact a different network which was the only TV crew in the building at the time. Watch for the errata. And click here for Inner City Press' story on Ms. Power's related endeavor funded by Ebay's founders, "Chasing the Flame with Cheese Cubes," a/k/a fondue.

There is also word in the building of a potential settlement payment to families of victims of the Algiers bombing. We will continue to dig into this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1bombs081908.html

UN's Concern About Investors Kept Algeria Threat Level Low Before the Bombing, Some Counter-Terrorism Reforms

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2safety063008.html

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- Belated describing to the Press his report on the bombing of the UN in Algiers back in December, Lakhdar Brahimi on Monday acknowledged that the UN takes into consideration governments' desire to downplay security threats. "It's a sensitive issue," he said, because when the UN raises threat levels, "investors stop going there... The UN takes that into consideration." Video here, from Minute 9:39.

Since the UN, particularly through its UN Development Program, operates on the premise that the only road to development is by building the capacity and strengths of governments, this runs counter to prioritizing the safety of staff. In this case, there were other conflicts of interest. UK Ambassador to the UN John Sawers told the Press on Monday morning that he is "not sure if the choice of an Algerian" like Brahimi "to investigate a bombing in Algeria was the right way to go. Inner City Press asked Brahimi about the comment. Brahimi replied that he didn't think he was assigned the investigation because he is Algerian, and that Algeria didn't feel it controlled the investigation. Judge me on my work, Brahimi said.

But his report dodged the obvious question, of holding anyone accountable. That task has been assigned to yet another panel, this one headed by Ralph Zacklin, who the UN Staff Union on Monday called "an insider who has served as legal counsel... with repsonsible for some sensitive political issues including the Oil for Food program, where he assisted in some procurement decision criticized by [Paul] Volcker." They question if this is a person who will objectively mete out responsibility.

So far, only David Veness has resigned. Ambassador Sawers sung Veness' praises on Monday, saying he will be hard to replace. Inner City Press is told that Jack Straw sold Veness on the job by saying it could take him to retirement. Who now will wants this hot potato? While word on the street is Russian, it may be Poland's time, we'll see.

Counter-Terrorism Changes Still Fall Short: Following a string of court decisions criticizing the UN's Al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions as violating the due process rights of those put on the lists, the UN Security Council on Monday extended the sanctions with some changes, including committing to review all names on the lists within the next two years. Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador to the UN John Sawers if the reforms in Resolution 1822 are retroactive, and thus might be used to try for better outcomes in the court decisions questioning the sanction. They are not retroactive, Sawers answered, but they will help going forward. Video here, from Minute 2:10. Costa Rica later said that it is not strong enough in providing due process in the listing and delisting of those subject to sanctions. But Costa Rica voted for the resolution, and as Sawers has noted, few reporters cover the sanctions anyway. UN Counter-Terrorism czar Michael Smith has yet to brief the press. Ah, accountability....

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2safety063008.html