Many Middle East leaders say the US-led invasion of Iraq and its consequences have been catastrophic for the region, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday, describing conversations during his recent 11-day trip.
"Honestly, most of the leaders I spoke to felt that the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them," he said. "They believe it has destabilized the region."
Annan was commenting at a news conference about his trip, which was intended to shore up support for the Security Council resolution that ended the war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
He said the officials he met were of two minds whether the US should leave Iraq.
"Many leaders felt the Americans should stay until the situation improves and that, having created the problem, they cannot walk away," he said. "Then you have another school of thought, particularly in Iran, that believes that the presence of the US is a problem and that the US should leave."
He added that the Iranians had offered to help the Americans leave, but, asked to elaborate, he said, "I didn't get into details as to how they intend to help."
White House press secretary Tony Snow took issue with Annan's comments.
"If you take a look at what's gone on in the region, you have attempts to establish democracies in Lebanon, you have an attempt to establish a democracy in the Palestinian areas, you have democracies now up and gaining their footing in Afghanistan and Iraq. And those are developments that are positive," Snow said.
"Now, I'm not going to engage in further disputation with the secretary-general of the United Nations, but we disagree with the characterization," he said.
Citing UN efforts to help in Iraq, Annan said 33 nations had signed up to attend a Sept. 18 meeting of the Iraq Compact, a joint venture between the UN and the Iraqi government that seeks to build a coalition to help develop the economic, political and security sectors.
Annan acknowledged that he had had differences with the Bush administration over Iraq "from the beginning," but he said relations were now "very good."
"I work very well with the secretary of state and with the president himself, and on key and important issues we are able to discuss, sometimes agree, often agree, and there are times that perforce we disagree, and I think everyone has to respect that," he said.
Annan said his situation was less secure on Capitol Hill, where some members of Congress had accused him of mismanagement and of tolerating corruption, and Senator Norm Coleman, a Republican, had persistently called on him to resign.
Annan, who retires on Dec. 31 at the end of his second five-year term, said that Iraq -- which was invaded in March 2003 without UN backing -- had presented him with his greatest crisis in office.
"I think Iraq is what has impressed me and marked me the most," he said. "I think it's marked the organization, and everybody else as well."
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