United Nations: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on March 20 criticised
the US-led war on Iraq without explicit sanction of the world body, saying Baghdad
could have been disarmed peacefully if they had persevered for a little longer, and
urged all parties to ensure the safety of civilians.
"The world could have taken action to solve this problem by a collective decision,
endowing it with greater legitimacy and, therefore, commanding wider support," he
told Washington on the morning after the attack began.
Showing his unhappiness over the Security Council's inability to reach a consensus,
Annan regretted that war has come to Iraq for third time in a quarter of Century,
despite the best of the international community and the United Nations.
Stating that his thoughts are with Iraqi people, he asked all parties
to "scrupulously" observe the humanitarian law and to do everything in their power
to shield the civilian population from the grim consequences of war.
"I hope that all parties will scrupulously observe the requirements of international
humanitarian law, and will do everything in their power to shield the civilian
population from the grim consequences of war.
"The United Nations, on is part, would do whatever it can to bring them (Iraqi
people) assistance and support," he assured.
Urging the Council members to forget divisions of the past and confront the
"realities, however harsh", Annan expressed the hope that Iraqi people would
have much "brighter" future and would soon have the chance to rebuild their
country in "peace and freedom and under rule of law".
The people of the world, he said, have shown the great importance they attach
to the legitimacy conveyed by the authority of the United Nations.
"They have made clear that, in confronting uncertainty and danger, they want
to see power harnessed to legitimacy. They want their leaders to come
together in the United Nations to resolve the problems shared by all humanity,"
he said.
Annan said he would do his utmost to ensure that the United Nations rises to the
challenged posed.
PTI
