Ban Appoints Algerian Official To Security Panel

UNITED NATIONS — Following accusations that the United Nations, the Algerian government, or both provided inadequate security arrangements prior to the December 11 bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Algiers, Secretary-General Ban yesterday appointed a veteran of U.N. diplomacy, Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian government official, to head a panel on security for U.N. staffers and offices around the world.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack, in which 17 staffers were killed, top U.N. officials accused the Algerian government of ignoring warnings about security arrangements, and staffers said the organization did not do enough to assure their safety.

When Mr. Ban announced last month that he would investigate such allegations, Algerian government officials, apparently concerned about being blamed, said they would not cooperate with any such investigation. After consulting with the government and other diplomats, Mr. Ban announced yesterday that Mr. Brahimi would head an "independent panel on safety and security of U.N. personnel and premises around the world."

Mr. Brahimi, a veteran of Algerian and Arab League diplomacy who has served as a U.N. diplomatic troubleshooter, currently lives in Paris and Princeton, N.J. Diplomats here expressed concerns that an Algerian national with extensive U.N. ties may not be well suited to forcefully question either side, but Mr. Ban defended his integrity.