| One of the few occasions where I actually agree with Kofi. The difference between us is that he'll soon drop the subject and I won't... |
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday sharply condemned recent attacks on foreign diplomats in Iraq and voiced hope that they would not weaken the determination of the world community to support the Iraqi people. In a statement released by his office, the UN chief, who is on his way to London after attending the African Union (AU) summit in Libya, said he was "deeply dismayed" by the recent rash of attacks, which he "vehemently condemns."Within four days, the head of the Egyptian mission in Baghdad has been kidnapped, Bahrain's envoy wounded in a failed kidnap attempt, the Pakistani ambassador fired on and the Russian ambassador's car riddled with bullets. The attacks follow a conference in Brussels on June 22 at which the international community threw its support behind the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari that resulted from historic elections on January 30. "There can be no justification for the targeting of diplomats. As with earlier attacks against the United Nations and other international actors in Iraq, the secretary-general hopes these latest attacks will not weaken the resolve of the international community to stand with the Iraqi people at this critical juncture in their history," Annan's office said.