UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that virtually every Middle Eastern leader he met during a recent two-week regional visit described the US-led invasion of Iraq and its consequences as deeply damaging to the broader region, believing it had fundamentally destabilized surrounding countries.
Regional leaders were divided on what Washington should do next. Most felt the US needed to remain until conditions improved, while others, including Iran, called for an immediate American withdrawal. Annan described the resulting bind as a situation where the US faces pressure from both sides simultaneously.
Iran expressed willingness to assist with any US departure but offered no specifics, Annan noted. He declined to state his own position on withdrawal timing, saying only that any exit must be arranged carefully to avoid triggering further instability or violence.
Annan's primary objective during the trip had been securing regional backing for a Security Council cease-fire resolution in Lebanon, though he also addressed Iraq in his meetings. He announced that the UN would host an Iraq Compact gathering on Monday, aimed at building international support for the country's economic recovery. Annan is scheduled to leave his post on 31 December, when his second five-year term concludes.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.