Kofi Annan: America Should Know Not To Pay Attention To What We Say About Our Own Security

I’m sure most of you are aware of the tragic and senseless bombing of the UN compound in Iraq on Tuesday.

So who is Kofi Annan now slamming for this terrorist attack? Saddam Hussein and the thugs who are following him? Al-Qaeda? Perhaps Hizbollah or the Palestinian terrorist groups who have sent men into Iraq? No, Annan is tearing into the United States, despite the fact that the UN blew off the advice we gave them about securing their compound before the attack…

“It emerged Wednesday that amid the rubble are the remains of what would have been a concrete barrier that the UN had begun to build to prevent vehicles packed with explosives from being parked near the compound — as happened Tuesday with devastating results. At least 20 people were killed, including two Canadians.

Building the planned 12-foot barrier earlier might have made a difference, UN officials conceded.

Annan rejected, however, Washington’s reasoning that UN officials in Baghdad had refused offers by U.S. forces in Iraq to protect the compound.

“Nobody (asks) you if you want the police to patrol your neighbourhood,” he said as he returned to UN headquarters after cutting short his holiday in Europe. “They make the assessment that patrol and protection is needed, and then they start, and that’s what should be done in Iraq.”

UN officials say the United States, as an “occupying power,” is responsible under international law for providing security. But they also admit they did not want to frighten ordinary Iraqis by having their compound heavily fortified.

“Security around our location was not as secure as you might find at the U.S. compound, and that was a decision we made so the offices were available to the people,” said chief UN spokesman Fred Eckhard, in comments that appeared to confirm the UN had refused U.S. help. “We did not think at the time we were taking an unnecessary risk.”

Kofi Annan’s prattle reminds me of people who approvingly trot out that old Ben Franklin quote, ” Those who give up liberty for the sake of security deserve neither liberty nor security” and then complain about not being kept safe when something actually happens.

The UN CHOSE not to have the level of security they knew they needed, they CHOSE to drag their feet in building that security fence, and they CHOSE to refuse offers from US forces to protect the compound. Then after their choices came back and bit them on the behind, instead of blaming themselves for their foolishness or the terrorists for bombing the compound, they’re blaming the United States, even though this attack probably would have been stopped if they’d taken our advice to begin with. Well, the UN made their bed and now they’re going to have to lie in it. Maybe next time they’ll take our advice when we show them the proper way to fold the sheets…

Hat tip to Instapundit for finding this one.

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