Kabul U.N. attack spurs Ban to seek emergency powers

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the world body on Friday for money and emergency powers to boost U.N. security globally after a deadly attack by Taliban militants on a Kabul guesthouse this week.

"The United Nations, increasingly, has become a target," Ban told the General Assembly. "Our people on the ground and in harm's way deserve our fullest support -- in Afghanistan, and everywhere the U.N. flag flies."

Ban asked for "expanded authority to undertake new financial commitments in times of crisis." His current level of emergency spending is capped at $1 million, which he said was "simply not enough."

He requested an additional $50 million to better screen and protect access to vulnerable U.N. locations around the world and for a separate $25 million emergency fund to be established for the U.N. Department of Safety and Security.

Ban's requests came after five U.N. workers were killed on Wednesday when Taliban militants attacked a guesthouse housing 34 U.N. staff, more than half of whom were there to help with the election.

Ban indirectly criticized local security forces in Afghanistan when he described how U.N. security officers fought attackers for nearly an hour with no backup, saving many lives in the process, when the guesthouse was besieged by suicide bombers with grenades and automatic weapons,

The Taliban has vowed to disrupt a planned November 7 Afghan run-off election as U.S. President Barack Obama weighs whether to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight an insurgency that has reached its fiercest level in eight years.

In response to Wednesday's attack, U.N. staff in Afghanistan are being consolidated. Ban is also considering bringing in additional security units -- both U.N. and private -- while staff not directly engaged in critical election-related duties are being encouraged to take leave. U.N. staff movement is restricted.

Ban said Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan had become the most dangerous places for U.N. civilian staff. More than half the 27 U.N. civilians killed this year died in those countries.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)