Sunday, July 22, 2007

UNUSFF

An entire UN detachment of 700 men has been suspended from peace making duties in the country of Cote d'Ivoire while they are investigated for allegations of misconduct.

The United Nations said on Saturday it had suspended a Moroccan military contingent from its peacekeeping mission in Cote d'Ivoire while it investigated allegations of widespread sexual abuse.

It seems all too often that whenever and where ever a UN peace keeper detachment is deployed, the forced deportations of UN troops soon follow. But of course these stories are buried in the back pages of the the International News Section. If the Moroccans had made these women into a naked human pyramid or posed them with dog leashes, we would never hear the end of it, right?

"It means they don't participate in our operations," said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI).

Now that's gonna harsh the Moroccan mellow. Underpaid, poorly trained, oversexed soldiers forced not to go on patrol. Say it ain't so Yogi!

Sending some of these third world shithole countries as UN troops for peacekeeping is like assigning Michael Moore to guard a train load of Twinkies.

"Those who are found guilty will be sent back home."

Drop the twelve year old and step awaaay from the condom dispenser. That's it. Nice and slow now.

The world body said the measure was in addition to a decision to confine the entire battalion of 734 soldiers to barracks.

In addition, UN officials are considering another measure; the Moroccans may be subjected to the "Mother Of All Time Outs."

U.N. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday the investigation involved Moroccan soldiers having sex with a large number of underage girls in the West African country's northern rebel stronghold of Bouake.

I have yet to find punitive measures taken against any UN troops who have been found guilty of crimes against those whom they were supposed to protect. I can't even find mention where these men have been subjected to trials. What I do find is the media wringing its hands over UN abuses and ... nothing. Like this ABC News report last year.

UN peacekeepers and humanitarian staff are having sex with Liberian girls as young as 8-years-old in the very camps where their families have sought protection, according to a new report by Save the Children UK. Along with UN peacekeepers, the report says that camp officials, humanitarian staff, government employees and even teachers are involved in the sex trade with young Liberian girls.

Men often trade inexpensive items such as beans, bulgur wheat or even rides in their UN vehicles for sex with the young girls.

Well, it may be a step above plastic beads and blankets. Is this how the UN distributes humanitarian aid? Underage Sex For Food? Sounds like an acronym we can all live with, UNUSFF. Perhaps if Saddam had tried teenage sodomy with the UN he'd still be in power.

The UN said that since the beginning of the year, eight sexual abuse and exploitation cases involving UN personnel in Liberia have been reported to the internal UN office in charge of investigating all cases of serious misconduct. One of those cases has been substantiated, and the staff member was immediately suspended.

That'll teach him. Send him home where he'll have to pay cash up front for these services.

And people look to the UN for international leadership, even a fledgling world government. It makes me sick.

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