http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/6/13/120450.shtml

U.N. Quakes over Scandal Book

Stewart Stogel

Monday, June 14, 2004

UNITED NATIONS - United Nations officials are quaking over revelations made in a just released book about the world body that details wild sex and drug parties on peackeeping mission.

As first revealed by NewsMax, the book, "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures" (Miramax Books), by Ken Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson -- all current or former U.N. employees -- has the potential of being a major embarrassment for Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The U.N. desperately tried to stop the publication of the book -- even threatening two of the authors with possible dismissal.

Since NewsMax exclusively revealed excerpts of the book -- the book has gained worldwide attention, with reports in The Times (London), The Daily Telegraph (London), The New York Post, CNN and other outlets.

Pre-release book sales have also soared -- jumping more than 2 million slots in Amazon's ranking system.

The controversial hardcover is a compilation of personal memoirs by three U.N. peacekeeping employees over the last decade.

While the "interpersonal" relationships the book centers on is of minimal interest, what the intrepid U.N. employees see around them has lit fires in U.N. headquarters.

Among many of the "observations" presented in the book:

Drug taking and excessive drinking by U.N. personnel in Cambodia and other peacekeeping venues was common.

"Peacekeepers" sent by Bulgaria to serve in Cambodia were in reality prison convicts and psychiatric ward patients.

Details of a cover up by a senior U.N. official of an ambush of a U.N. convoy in Mogadishu, Somalia.

A demanded kickback of some salary from U.N. employees to their supervisors.

An allegation that U.N. chief Kofi Annan personally suppressed a report (1994) warning of an impending massacre in the African nation of Rwanda. At the time, Annan directed U.N. peacekeeping affairs.

More than 800,000 people in Rwanda and neighboring Burundi eventually lost their lives according to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva.

Warnings

In early April 2004, the two current U.N. employees (Postlewait and Thomson) received written and verbal warnings that they had violated staff rules and faced punitive action if the book was released and they promoted it.

The authors not only ignored the warnings, but have since begun a series of media interviews and plan a book signing tour later this month.

Miramax pointed out the book would be released since they are not bound by any U.N. restrictions.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard agreed, but insisted that the U.N. could and most likely will take action against the two employees.

Despite numerous reports that the U.N. has opted to do nothing other than reprimand the two authors, Eckhard has insisted that no final decision has yet been made. He also believes the final act will go beyond a formal reprimand.

The U.N. has the right to fire the authors but such an action must be accepted by a disciplinary committee.

The two authors are so-called "contract" or fixed-term employees.

Any action the U.N. brass eventually takes against the authors is expected to impact on the entire organization.

Some senior U.N. veterans with permanent contracts, feel that Annan and Co. will "chicken out" and just discipline the authors. They are now actively considering writing their own tales.

"I am looking for a $1 million advance," says one high-ranking U.N. official.

"If all I get is a letter of reprimand, I'll take it," he laughed.

The U.N.'s Eckhard would only say "stay tuned."