U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that the majority of Middle Eastern leaders he met during a recent two-week regional trip view the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its consequences as deeply damaging to the broader region.
Annan described a divided opinion among those leaders: some believe Washington must remain until stability is achieved, while others, including Iran, want U.S. forces to withdraw immediately. This leaves the United States in a bind, able neither to stay comfortably nor to leave cleanly.
Iran offered to assist with a U.S. withdrawal but provided no specifics, Annan said. He declined to state his personal view on withdrawal timing, noting only that any exit must be arranged carefully to avoid worsening regional instability.
Annan's trip had originally focused on building support for a Security Council cease-fire resolution in Lebanon, though Iraq and other issues also came up in his meetings with regional leaders.
On a separate note, Annan said the U.N. would host an Iraq Compact meeting Monday, aimed at rallying economic support for Iraq's government. He also confirmed he will 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.