U.N. Claims U.S. Violaged Geneva Convention by Allowing Looters

London Telegraph ^

[GulliverSwift]

UN accuses allies over looting
(Filed: 11/04/2003)

The United Nations has accused the American-led coalition of breaking the Geneva Convention by failing to protect hospitals in Baghdad from looters.

Iraqis tie a looted wardrobe to the top of a car

The UN Office of the Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) said the Kindi hospital, one of the largest in the Iraqi capital, had been ransacked as had other medical centres.

It said the breakdown of law and order has led to "anarchy and chaos" on the streets of the city.

The UN's claims have been supported by reports from journalists who have said that looting has spread throughout Baghdad.

Andrew Gilligan, a BBC reporter, said he had counted more than 150 burnt-out shops as well as reporting that he had seen a 16-year-old boy beaten to death by an angry mob.

The UN pointed the finger of blame firmly at the United States and its allies for failing to stop the disorder.

The "inaction by the occupying powers" had violated the Geneva Convention which explicitly states that hospitals, doctors, nurses and patients must be protected, the UNOHCI said in a statement.

"The coalition forces seem to be unable to restrain the looters or impose any sort of controls on the mobs that now govern the streets."

It added: "This situation not only endangers the lives of the war wounded, but of all patients who need regular treatment, such as dialysis in city's hospitals."

The organisation, which has no personnel in Iraq, based its assessement on evidence presented by the Red Cross who has a media liaison officer in the capital.

"The picture he painted over the phone can be summed up in two words: anarchy and chaos. There is no law and no order at the moment in Baghdad," said the UNOHCI.

Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, has backed the UN's claims by calling for the US military to mount a "massively bigger effort" to defend hospitals.

Ms Short said: "It [the aid effort] should focus on hospitals. There were lots of injured people. The Red Cross can't get through.

"There isn't water, there isn't power, they are running out of drugs. It is an absolute priority to make the hospitals safer."

But other ministers claimed that the reports of looting in Baghdad have been exaggerated by the media.

Adam Ingram, the Armed Forces minister, said Iraqis had mostly ransacked buildings associated with Saddam Hussein's regime.

He also singled out the BBC for criticism.

Mr Ingram said: "I cannot accept reports like one on the BBC this morning suggesting that the people of Baghdad are 'passing their first days of freedom in more fear than they have ever know before'.

"That cannot possibly be accurate given the extent and nature of that regime - a regime that murdered, brutalised tens of thousands of its own people right up to the very last moment."

Despite the bleak picture, the Red Cross has resumed its visits to hospitals in Baghdad saying the security situation was still "volatile".

A UNOHCI spokesman based in the Jordanian capital Amman said as soon as it could guarantee the security of its staff it would be sending humanitarian aid into Iraq.

[madison46]

They need to pass a resolution or something *backhanded sarcasm at UN*

[ladyinred]

Hey we allow the UN to continue in our country don't we? They are among the biggest looters in society. Perhaps we should stop them too eh?

[samuel_adams_us]

What is the UN talking about???? We have kept them, the looters, completely out of Iraq!

[Kay Soze]

So Kofi do something about it... pussy.

[FreedomCalls]

If we were to use tear gas and pepper spray to control the looters we would never hear the end of how it was that America used chemical weapons on the innocent Iraqi people.

[FreedomCalls]

I thought the lefties were all for the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. Rich people aren't looting poor people's houses that's for sure.

[Kay Soze]

Lets be honest the Kofi UN and the world would be shouting occupation after the second arrest of an Iraqi for looting.

The world would love nothing more than for the US to now be stern with the Iraqis.

The smart play is to alow it for a few days till it's hit the front page of EVERY mag and news paper in the world.

Then we can clamp down.

We can now point to the outrage of the high moral grounders such a Kofi-3.5 million dead and rising in Congo-Annan eta al for defense of the clamp down.

[rwfromkansas]

Testing out a FR post editor offered on the website of another Freeper..

http://www.testing.com

Come on now.

[EaglesUpForever]

They need to pass a resolution or something

I think before getting to the resolution phase, they will have to inspect for 12 years or so. Only Israel-bashing resolutions get the fast track.

[xusafflyer]

Who are they looting?

yeah, the hospitals should be left alone but for places like Tariq Aziz's home; hell, I would have burned the place down and pissed on the ashes.

[antaresequity]

Amazing isn't it. At this point I think we can just ignore them...

Then again, I am beginning think we have just inherited all of Saddam's useful idiots...

And they don't even know it...

[mvpel]

It sounds like from recent reports, though, that some Iraqis are coming to the realization that they are now a free people, and arriving at the "if not me, who?" mindset, and taking a stand themselves against the looters.

Self-reliance is garlic and holy water to the UN socialist and US Democrat vampires. No wonder they're so glum lately.

[Dog Gone]

The United Nations has accused the American-led coalition of breaking the Geneva Convention by failing to protect hospitals in Baghdad from looters.

And, if President Gore were in office, he'd turn the army over to the International Criminal Court for this war crime.

[antaresequity]

Kofi Anna should be picking cotton in Alabama

That kind of racist stereo type makes you look like a complete idiot.

Are you?

[The Wizard]

It's time to get out of the UN

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FN: Charles Krauthammer w/ Fox All Stars tonight:

 

"I rise in defense of the looters." 

 

"I would not risk a single hair of a single American soldier in defense of the home of Tariq Aziz."

 

Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, CENTCOM - Apr. 11: "We are applying every part of the Geneva Convention wherever we are."

 

There you have it. Kofi is lying. It is unworthy of anyone claiming a position of leadership in this world, but pretending to be a moral authority? Lecturing those who are making the greatest sacrifices to free the Iraqi people?

 

The Iraqi people will choose their own government. The UN building was one of the first looted. I wouldn't guarantee Kofi safe passage in Baghdad tonight.

 

E-mail Kofi:  sg@un.org

E-mail U.N.: General Assembly President

[demkicker]

"UN needs to sit down and shut up. This morning Bob Arnott, MSNBC, said that there are plenty of United States Aid agencies to help the Iraqi people and they don't need the UN!"

You'd think they'd get a clue after the UN and the three weasles got bitch slapped into irrelevancy on the world stage. I say we let the UN handle all the bedpans in the hospitals.

[KarlInOhio]

JDAM targetting data: 40.74997 N, 73.96814 W

[kcar]

[daddypatriot]

Note to antaresequity:
You may be right. I just got out of state hospital for the criminally insane on a legal technicality (thank goodness for these good ACLU lawyers). Perhaps you could send me your address. Oh, by the way, Hanibal Lecter is my grandfather.