As the UN chief spoke of a more prosperous and secure Iraq a mortar round exploded 40 yards away

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UN chief rattled by mortar blast at Iraq talks
(AFP)

22 March 2007



BAGHDAD - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed confidence on Thursday that Iraq could build a better future with international help just moments before flinching at the sound of a nearby mortar attack.

True to form for top diplomatic visits to the most dangerous capital on earth, Ban’s visit went unannounced until he touched down on the first leg of his first visit to the Middle East since taking office three months ago.

Following talks with Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, whose Shiite-led government is struggling to stem sectarian bloodshed, Ban praised concerted efforts by Baghdad and the international community for a better future.

“I’m confident that we’ll be able to see in the near future, a more prosperous and secure and politically and democratically healthier future of the Iraqi people and government,” he told a joint news conference.

But just moments after Ban said the United Nations may bolster its presence in Iraq, a mortar round landed in a garden 40 metres (yards) away.