Annan On US' Iraq Policy.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sept. 13 said most leaders in the Middle East believed the US-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath had been "a real disaster" for the region. He said some of the leaders thought the US should stay until the situation in Iraq improved, while others, such as Iran, said it should leave immediately. That meant, Annan said, the US had found itself in the difficult position where "it cannot stay and it cannot leave".

Addressing a news conference to explain his recent tour of the Middle East, Annan said: "Most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them. They believe it has destabilised the region". Annan said that Iran offered to help the US leave but did not offer details. He would not give his own thoughts on whether he believed the US should leave Iraq yet, saying: "The timing has to be optimum and it has to be arranged in such a way that it does not lead to even greater disruption or violence in the region".

Annan's news conference was meant to give him a chance to discuss the results of his trip to the region and take stock of the UN ahead of the annual ministerial meeting of the General Assembly, which begins on Sept. 19. He said on Sept. 18, the UN would host a meeting of the Iraq Compact, a new group created by the Iraqi government to help strengthen the economy, adding: "The idea...is to generate support for the economic development of Iraq... The pessimists will be surprised as to what happens".

A report titled "Stabilizing Iraq", issued on Sept. 11 by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), says that, although the solution to securing the country is not entirely military, there is an important relationship between security conditions and efforts to strengthen Iraq's economy.

The report says attacks against US-led troops and Iraqi security forces reached an "all-time high during July 2006". It says: "Despite coalition efforts and the efforts of the newly formed Iraqi government, insurgents continue to demonstrate the ability to recruit new fighters, supply themselves, and attack coalition and Iraqi security forces. The deteriorating conditions threaten the progress of US and international efforts to assist Iraq in the political and economic areas".