US invasion ‘a real disaster’

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday that most leaders in the Middle East believe the US-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath was “a real disaster” for the region.

Mr Annan said many leaders believed the United States should stay until Iraq improves, while others, such as Iran, said the United States should leave immediately. That means that the United States has found itself in the difficult position where “it cannot stay and it cannot leave”.

“Most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them,” Mr Annan said. “They believe it has destabilised the region.”