Not that the outside world really cares all that much, but I am still trying to figure out who, exactly, made the decision to upgrade Nairobi's security status from a Level C to a Level B. The more I think about it, the more I think the whole process stinks, because the U.N. has provided no clear-cut way to make a determination about a city's safety. And when there is no clearcut method, politics and corruption inevitably start to play a role.
And that's where you really start to see some of the failings of the U.N. system.
This has happened before, most notably in Algeria. In August 2006, then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan upgraded the security status of Algiers to Level A, the best possible rank. A year later, terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda struck the U.N. headquarters there, killing 17 people.
It has since emerged that Annan's decision to change Algiers' security status was likely a result of pressure from the Algerian government, which felt that its Level B ranking was bad for foreign investment. If you want to wade into the Algeria controversy, start with this story from the U.N. News Center, and then go deeper with these stories. If your appetite is still not quenched, head to the indefatigable and unbeatable Inner City Press.
It is hard not to imagine a similar scenario in Kenya. While petty crime has declined by most accounts, the terrorist threat is as present as ever, and is probably getting worse.
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