The Hindu : U.N. pulls out staff as war clouds thicken

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 10, 2003

International

International

U.N. pulls out staff as war clouds thicken

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

United Nations March 9. In view of the possible military action against Iraq by the United States and its "allies", the United Nations has decided to pull its civilian staff from the Iraq-Kuwait border.

The United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission, UNIKOM, is also suspending its air and maritime patrols. The land patrols are continuing but a spokesman for the mission has argued that this was also being pared down to "absolutely necessary'' ones.

A spokesman for the Mission has said that slimming down operations has been made after approval from New York. "This move began today after we got approval from the Secretary-General. We are doing it as a preparatory measure in case there are developments in the situation'', a spokesman for the UNIKOM has been quoted. The U.N. has said that some 230 of its civilian staff will be asked to leave their residential quarters in the de-militarised zone by today. But UNIKOM's 195 observers and its 775 military support unit from Bangladesh will remain in place it is being said. The decision of the United Nations to evacuate its civilian staff and cut down its patrolling activities came after the Observers had noticed the cutting of the border fence in several areas, some large enough to be able to pass military convoys.

Although for the record this cutting of the fence is said to be the handiwork of "civilians'', the belief is that it is being done by American military personnel. Officials here have maintained that this is a violation of Security Council resolution which prohibit the entry of military personnel in the demilitarised zone; and the Security Council has been notified accordingly.

The UNIKOM has not said what would happen to its mission if U.S.-led forces stormed through the demilitarised zone in the event of a breakout of hostilities. But the general feeling is that the U.N. force, which for the last 12 years has been monitoring the Iraq-Kuwait border, will be dismantled and pulled back to Kuwait City. The United Nations has been keeping a close watch on the heightened tensions between the United States and Iraq; and is seriously concerned about the safety of its hundreds of personnel especially in the directly affected areas.

In fact, officials here have directly appealed to the U.S. to give the U.N. sufficient notice to pull out humanitarian workers out of Iraq in case the military route has been finally decided. One perception here is that irrespective of what comes out of the vote on a second resolution, the U.S. `has' decided to militarily intervene in Iraq. To this effect the U.S. President, George W Bush, will address the nation next week and then give a three day "deadline" of sorts for all those journalists, aid and humanitarian workers to get out of Iraq.

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