U.N. blames 10 officials for security lapse in Algiers bombing

UNITED NATIONS -- An independent panel said Wednesday that 10 U.N. officials should face reprimands or disciplinary action because of security lapses ahead of the deadly bombing of U.N. headquarters in Algeria.

The car bombing at U.N. offices and another government building killed 17 U.N. staffers and wounded 40 Dec. 11.

Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility and called the U.N. offices "the headquarters of the international infidels' den." The other site targeted that day was Algeria's Constitutional Council.

A five-member panel headed by Ralph Zacklin, a former U.N. assistant secretary-general for legal affairs, cited broad weaknesses in the U.N.'s security operations, including "significant lapses in judgment and experience" by top personnel. They were not named.

The bombings have added to the U.N.'s increasing worry its staff and missions are becoming targets worldwide.

"Senior managers were preoccupied with Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan. Algeria was not on the radar screen," says a four-page summary of the report prepared by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office.

The 88-page report, based on interviews with 54 people and a review of internal security documents, was not made public because of what U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said were concerns about safety and "due process" for personnel.

As the third in a series of internal probes into the bombing, the panel's report focused on assigning blame. It recommended a letter of reprimand or other possible "administrative measures" against six U.N. staff, and disciplinary proceedings that could lead to firing against four others, Zacklin said.

The panel, which was appointed by Ban, also cleared the secretary-general of any culpability in the security lapses.

It is up to Ban to decide what actions to take against the U.N. staffers.

Panel members praised U.N. security officer Babacar Ndiaye, who was killed in the attack. He had unsuccessfully pleaded with U.N. managers to raise the threat level and had called for Algeria to put up concrete barriers and increase surveillance outside U.N. offices in Algiers.

The summary of the report emphasized that host countries bear primary responsibility for security of U.N. staff. Algerian officials have repeatedly said their government took steps to protect the United Nations.

The report also criticized the U.N.'s system of threat levels, saying it is flawed "since it tends to provide a false sense of security ... when in fact it is frequently inconsistent in its application from country to country."

Britain's David Veness offered to resign in June as U.N. security chief because of the bombing. Two earlier reports on the bombing found that Algerian officials had some advance knowledge of a possible attack and that warnings to U.N. officials went largely ignored.