150 Sex Abuse Charges against UN Congo Peacekeepers

Compare that headline with the one used by Al Reuters.

UN: 150 Sex Abuse Charges in Congo Peacekeeping

Note the subtle difference? Note the use of the "UN:", as if the UN are reporting the story. Also note the "in Congo Peacekeeping", Al Reuters is doing its' best to minimize the UN involvement, in the headline at least.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations (news - web sites) is investigating about 150 allegations of sexual abuse by U.N. civilian staff and soldiers in the Congo, some of them recorded on videotape, a senior U.N. official said on Monday.

Great, just great, the UN is once again investigating itself. No doubt they will be as swift and thorough as they have been so far in their Iraqi oil for food scandal.

In May the United Nations reported some 30 cases of abuse among peacekeepers in the northeastern town of Bunia, where half of the more than 10,000 soldiers are stationed.

Oh well, guess not.

The accusations include pedophilia, rape and prostitution, said Jane Holl Lute, an assistant secretary-general in the peacekeeping department.

Lute, an American, said there was photographic and video evidence for some of the allegations and most of the charges came to light since the spring.

Hmmm, and the importance of pointing out Lute's nationality is?

But surely this is an isolated case. No?

The revelations of peacekeeping abuses is usually kept quiet at the United Nations until reporters or individual countries disclose the news, as happened in Cambodia in the early 1990s and later in Somalia, Bosnia and Ethiopia. But in this case the world body released some details.

No.

About that keeping quiet bit, is that what happened in the UN oil for food scandal?

Annan on Friday expressed outrage at the abuse, saying, "I am afraid there is clear evidence that acts of gross misconduct have taken place."

Then why didn't you stop it all the other times, Annan?

"I have long made it clear that my attitude to sexual exploitation and abuse is one of zero tolerance, without exception, and I am determined to implement this policy in the most transparent manner," Annan said.

Can you say bullshit with a capital B?? How do you explain UN staff to vote on no-confidence motion against Annan?

Staffers said the trigger for the no-confidence measure was an announcement this week that Annan had pardoned the UN's top oversight official, who was facing allegations of favouritism and sexual harassment.

The union had requested a formal probe into the official, Dileep Nair, after employees accused him of harassing staff and violating UN rules on the hiring and promotion of workers.

But surely there was an investigation.

Top UN spokesman Fred Eckhard announced on Tuesday that Nair had been exonerated by Annan "after a thorough review" by the UN's senior official in charge of management, Catherine Bertini.

Oh, right, I forgot only the UN investigates the UN. But they only use top officials to investigate, right?

They noted that Riza, UN undersecretary general for information Shashi Tharoor and other top officials had served directly under Annan at least since 1994, when he was head of UN peacekeeping operations.

At the time, the United Nations was widely criticized for failing to stop the Rwanda genocide that left 800,000 people dead, even though UN peacekeepers were on the ground -- a catastrophe for which Annan has publicly apologized.

Man, what's that smell?

"Kofi Annan is surrounded by corruption, a gang of criminals responsible for some of the worst things that happened to mankind in the 20th century," said one angry staffer, referring to the Rwanda massacres.

Yeah, that's what I thought I smelled.

Genocide ignored, sexual harassment at the UN, rape by UN peacekeepers in the field, and the biggest financial scam in the history of the world by the UN, time for Annan to go and time for major changes at the UN.

UPDATE: More here.

The lawyer for a United Nations staff member who brought sexual harassment charges against Ruud Lubbers, the high commissioner for refugees, said Friday that Secretary General Kofi Annan's admission that he had overruled his own investigators in clearing Mr. Lubbers would support an appeal against the ...

So, even when they investigate and find something, Annan covers it up, just like the oil for food scandal.
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