The Guardian of London reports “security at the building was about as lax as it was possible to get in postwar Baghdad.” Cars were allowed to pull up next to the compound. There were no tanks or armored vehicles outside. The headquarters had no protective berms and there was no massive U.S. military presence.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the UN officials had asked the U.S.-led coalition last week to expand its security realm to include foreign embassies and offices of non-government agencies in Iraq. But the U.S. said no.

The Los Angeles Times reported the U.N. may have been attacked because de Mello had recently expressed support for U.S. policy and the new Iraqi Governing Council.