Annan Pushes Reconciliation Meeting During Surprise Trip to Baghdad

AP via TBO ^ | Nov 12, 2005 | Qassim Abdul-Zahra

[ncountylee]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.N. chief Kofi Annan called Saturday for national reconciliation in Iraq during a surprise visit, arriving just as a car bomb exploded near a street market in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad and killed eight weekend shoppers.

Also, the highest-ranking official still at large from Saddam Hussein's regime, a man accused by the United States of playing a key role in organizing the insurgency against coalition forces, has died, a Baathist Web site reported.

Saturday's posting on a Web site run by former Baath Party members appeared to confirm an e-mail announcing the death of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri that circulated Friday. He was believed to be at least 62.

It was Annan's first trip to Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the third by a high-level international official in as many days. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Friday and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw the day before.

All three encouraged disaffected Sunni Arabs, who form the core of the insurgency, to participate in next month's parliamentary elections. A major Sunni Arab party called Saturday for an end to U.S. and Iraqi military operations in heavily Sunni Anbar province, saying they threaten Sunni participation in the Dec. 15 election.

The U.N. leader also endorsed Arab League efforts to organize a conference bringing together Iraq's varied groups to heal the nation's divisions.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Dear Kofi:

STFU!

[Cementjungle]

He's there to try and collect on some bribes owed him by former Baath party officials.

[ncountylee]

Kofi heard the rumor that Sadam has buried some cash. If he asks to see him, Kofi believes the rumor.

[Bigg Red]

LOL! Wouldn't be surprised.

Where's an IED when you need one?

[Tinman73]

Before al-Samarie spoke, a statement was distributed in his house that allegedly included the resistance's conditions to start peace talks, including a halt to all military operations, the release of all detainees, the withdrawal of foreign troops from cities and setting a timetable for foreign troops to leave.

This sounds like the "resistance" is suffering major set backs and all their supporters are planning a "stalling move" so they can recruit and rearm for further actions later. That was an old Hussein move. (Lie, concede, and wait out the opposition)

[indianrightwinger]

Now that the God of the World KOFI has spoken, Iraq will return to full normalcy. </s>

What a clown. He did everything to undermine Iraq. Now, he should simply resign and disappear.

[tubebender]

This is a Joke,right?

[bill1952]

Wow! Finally! - Kofi's first return after his last visit!

This should go over huge with all non Sunnis.

[FlyVet]

Kofi must be really worried that we're going to win this, otherwise I can't see him risking his tender hide by going there. He wants his postwar piece of the pie.

[Parley Baer]

Actually I think he is there to find out which oil wells he thinks are his. Then he will get his buddy Chirac to send in troops in to protect them. Bwahahahahahaha.

[American in Singapore]

If there was an annual "Useless Twat" award, Annan would surely be the frontrunner this year.

If Annan is going there to help, it must be that Iraq is already successful (in U.S. political terms he would be called a 'moderate'); he has to know better than anybody else that he is an ineffectual buffoon.

[Tinman73]

He sees the writing on the wall now and needs to improve his legacy.

I can see him saying "see what the UN has done to bring peace in the middle east" once Iraq is established as a Democratic government.