Iraq: Annan in crucial talks on UN role

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan was meeting coalition and Iraqi officials today, in top-level talks on a role for the UN as Iraq moves towards democracy.

While the United States is pressing for the speedy return of UN staff, Annan has stated repeatedly that the security conditions in Iraq are still too dangerous – a view likely to be reinforced by yesterday’s bombing at the gates of the US-led coalition headquarters in Baghdad that killed 20 people.