Annan: Iraq Is Now Center for Terrorism

[ECH1969]

LONDON -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that Iraq has become an even greater "center for terrorist activities" than Afghanistan under the Taliban.

The United Nations headquarters in Baghdad was bombed by militants on Aug. 19, 2003, and 22 people died, including the top U.N. envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello. The U.N.'s international staff withdrew from Iraq in October 2003 following a second attack on its offices in Baghdad and a spate of attacks on humanitarian workers. A small staff has gradually been allowed to return since August 2004.

"One used to be worried about Afghanistan being the center of terrorist activities. My sense is that Iraq has become a major problem and in fact is worse than Afghanistan," he said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-britain-annan,1,2566754.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines