USA: United Nations holds special ceremony commemorating third anniversary of suicide bombing of international body's Baghdad headquarters

Record ID: 863963

  • Title: USA: United Nations holds special ceremony commemorating third anniversary of suicide bombing of international body's Baghdad headquarters
  • Date: 19th August 2006
  • Summary: (BN16) UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF UNITED NATIONS
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAEER9CYJAR9T77L6BHUOBEM3YG
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The United Nations marked on Friday (August 18) the third anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 22 at the U.N. Baghdad headquarters, with a special ceremony.
    Bells rang and all inside U.N. headquarters in New York, stopped to observe a moment of silence. Inside the Security Council chamber U.N. ambassadors and their staffers rose and bowed their heads for those that died in the attack.
    U.N. news and media director Ahmad Fawzi, who himself was in Baghdad at the time of the attack, led the ceremony in the General Assembly lobby, in front of a memorial plaque.
    Fawzi said that security of U.N. staff in hotspots is still a main point of concern for the organization.
    "We have made great progress in improving staff safety over the past three years but the world is still a dangerous place for those who put themselves in harm's way in order to work for peace. We do need to maintain the focus on security for United Nations and humanitarian staff."
    Additional colleagues who were in Baghdad during the attack laid a wreath in front of the plaque.
    Among those that died in the blast on August 19, 2003, was the U.N. mission chief in Iraq, Brazilian Sergio Vieira de Mello. More than 150 people were injured in the attack.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register