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The Associated Press
Published: December 12, 2007


UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all nations on Wednesday to stand united against terrorism, calling it "the scourge of our times."

But he said the United Nations will not be deterred in its mission "to help those most in need."

In a live video address from Bali, Indonesia, to the 192-member General Assembly, Ban expressed "shock and outrage" at Tuesday's twin truck bombings in Algiers by an affiliate of al-Qaida that targeted U.N. offices and a government building killing at least 31 people.

"Let us know that this attack on the U.N. is an attack on us all and our highest ideals," he said. "I call on this General Assembly to stand united. We must all condemn this deed, just as we must work, together, to bring its vile perpetrators to justice."

Diplomats in the General Assembly hall responded to Ban's brief speech with applause.
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Ban said the dead were still being counted and the wounded were still being treated.

At least 11 U.N. workers, possibly more, were killed in the attacks which badly damaged two U.N. buildings, U.N. officials said Tuesday. The attack was the worst against U.N. staff since an August 2003 bombing at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad killed 22, including the top U.N. envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

"In Algiers, we have today one more ugly reminder that terrorism remains the scourge of our times," Ban said. "The international community must be resolute in opposing those who prey on the innocent and vulnerable and those, like the United Nations, who seek only to help them."

Ban recalled the attack in Iraq, saying "The Baghdad attack will not deter us. Neither will this most recent attack. Our colleagues in Algiers would ask no less."

About 175 U.N. employees worked in Algeria, including about 115 locally based staff, Okabe said.

Before Tuesday, more than 250 U.N. civilian employees had been killed either by violence or in accidents since January 1992, when such record-keeping began, U.N. officials said. Those figures do not include the deaths of U.N. staff from peacekeeping missions.