The Attack on UN Headquarters in Baghdad - A Response

The Attack on UN Headquarters in Baghdad - A Response
Phyllis Bennis
Institute for Policy Studies 20 August 2003

The murderous attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad, in targeting civilians, was a violation of international law as well as a huge tragedy for the victims, their families and for the global organization as a whole. It was also a violation of the Rome Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, which criminalizes attacks on UN personnel. But such an attack should not have been a surprise.

The US-UK war and occupation of Iraq were and remain illegal. However happy Iraqis were to see the end of the regime of Saddam Hussein, they remain understandably angry towards military occupation.The UN should never have agreed to participate under the authority of that occupation force; to do so provides a political fig leaf for an illegal occupation. And now we're seeing the inevitable results of that participation, as anti-US militants target anyone working under the auspices of the US - including American, British and Danish soldiers, Iraqi translators, and now the civilian staff of the United Nations.

Under the Geneva Conventions it remains the responsibility of the occupying powers - not the United Nations - to provide for the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people - starting with food, medicine, and security. The US and UK are also responsible for providing security for the UN humanitarian operation as a whole. The occupation forces failed to provide sufficient protection to the United Nations, and bear responsibility for those security failures. The May 2003 Security Council resolution recognizing the US and UK as "occupying powers" places full responsibility for security on the occupying powers, not granting the UN any authority for security, even for its own personnel. The US refused to allow any UN peacekeeping or security troops into Iraq.

The UN should pull out of Iraq, and refuse to return until the US ends its occupation. Only then should UN humanitarian agencies go back to work in support ofthe people of Iraq.