IRAQ - Blast Shakes UN Chief.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-Moon (bän kē-m  n), 1944–, South Korean diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations (2007–), b. Chungju, grad. Seoul National Univ. (B.S. on March 22 was shaken but unhurt
in Baghdad after a Katyusha rocket landed just metres from a building
where he had a news conference. Moments after talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to"lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to journalists, a blast sent shockwaves through the conference venue, startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. Ban and sending him ducking for cover behind a podium. Security guards grabbed hold of PM Maliki who was standing next to Ban and was dusted by small bits of debris from the ceiling. Without commenting on the blast, Ban recovered his composure and took one further question before leaving the conference room. Interior Minister Jawad Bolani later played down the incident, saying: "This was not a security breach. Things like this happen in Baghdad once or twice a week". a rocket landed on a building 50 metres from the news conference venue, a guesthouse guest·house n. 1. A small house or cottage adjacent to a main house, used for lodging guests. 2. A bed-and-breakfast. in the PM's compound. Earlier, Ban praised Maliki's "strong leadership" and said: "As we see the improved situation on the ground, I am considering to increase the presence of the United Nations". Ban's trip, the first by the top UN official since his predecessor, Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1 1997 to January 1 2007, serving two five-year terms. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. , visited in November 2005, was staged with such secrecy that even his chief spokeswoman was unaware of it. |
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