Nowhere's Safe
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, under pressure from the United States to expand the U.N.'s role in Iraq, said Monday he would consider it but cited deteriorating security that has forced the U.N. to leave the southern city of Basra and temporarily move out of its living quarters in Baghdad's U.S.-protected Green Zone.In a report to the U.N. Security Council, Ban said the United Nations is a major promoter of electoral, constitutional and political efforts to build a united, democratic Iraq but because of the "precarious" security situation it needs the speedy construction of a new residential compound in Baghdad that can withstand the impact of rockets and other high-caliber weapons.
"The security situation in Iraq remains complex and unpredictable and is a major limiting factor for the United Nations presence and activities in Iraq," Ban said in the report covering the period from early March to early June.
. . .Ban said "the overall security environment presents a major challenge for the United Nations, particularly for its staff in the International Zone in Baghdad," also known as the Green Zone. He said an increase in mortar and rocket attacks in the Green Zone — from 17 in March to 30 in April and 39 by May 22 — was exacerbated by the increase in car bombings at entry checkpoints.
Hmm, he don't say?