Germany denies fault in killing of seven UN workers in Afghanistan

Germany denies fault in killing of seven UN workers in Afghanistan

2011-04-07 00:39:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

BERLIN (BNO NEWS) -- Germany denied Wednesday that its army was at fault for not preventing the killing of seven United Nations workers during the takeover of their compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif last week, the DPA news agency reported.

Critics have said German forces at a base just a few kilometers away didn't rush to the scene to prevent the massacre. However, Stefan Paris, the ministry spokesman in Berlin, said Germany did offer help to the Afghan authorities but they at first refused it.

He added that the provincial deputy police chief insisted the situation was under control after an angry mob attacked the operations centre for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) during a protest against the burning of the Quran by a U.S. pastor.

Paris conceded that NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops were authorized to deploy without Afghan consent, but said doing this would have been 'definitely not helpful' for future developments in Afghanistan.

Foreign troops arrived at the scene two hours after the mob had ransacked the UN compound after ISAF northern region commander, Major General Markus Kneip of Germany, persuaded the provincial governor, Mohammad Atta.

Paris said the troops arrived at 7 pm local time. Meanwhile, an ISAF officer told DPA on Tuesday that UNAMA phoned ISAF in Kabul at 6.09 pm for help, 'but ISAF troops were already on the scene by then,' having been deployed half an hour earlier.

The Wall Street Journal also quoted diplomats saying the troops did not arrive until 7.30 pm, more than three hours after a Swedish UN security officer had contacted a Swedish provincial reconstruction team in the city appealing for help.

The UN has launched an inquiry that will look into the conflicting reports and try to determine why nearby coalition forces didn't arrive sooner.

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