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U.S. officials: U.N. refused Iraq offer
EFLU.N. officials declined U.S. offers to provide tighter security at their Baghdad headquarters so they would have a friendlier image with the Iraqi public, American military officials said. Coalition military forces did not provide security for the U.N. compound but patrolled the area, and one such patrol was nearby when a truck bomb exploded Tuesday, Pentagon officials said. U.N. officials in Iraq deliberately decided to forgo strict security measures because the United Nations "did not want a large American presence outside," U.N. spokesman Salim Lone said. Just weeks ago, U.S. forces in Iraq began erecting labyrinthine barriers around nonmilitary, "soft" targets in Baghdad to guard against bombings like Tuesdayâs at U.N. headquarters. FBI officials in Baghdad said Wednesday the explosives used in the bombing included about 1,000 pounds of old weaponry, including one single 500-pound bomb. They were left on a flatbed truck parked outside the wall around the U.N. compound. American military and civilian officials in Iraq warned repeatedly over the last two months that car bombings or similar surprise attacks were strong possibilities. etc. I just canât find it in my heart to make a snide remark about this... Posted by: snellenr 2003-08-20 |
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