Iraq: With United States forces encircling the rebel Iraqi stronghold of Falluja poised to launch a major offensive, the United Nations secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan, has issued a blunt warning against any such action.
He said yesterday that an attack ran the risk of making the security situation worse and of jeopardising January's elections.
"The threat or actual use of force not only risks deepening the sense of alienation of certain communities, but would also reinforce perceptions among the Iraqi population of a continued military occupation," the Los Angeles Times quoted Mr Annan as writing in letters to President Bush, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Iraqi interim prime minister, Mr Iyad Allawi.
Mr Allawi and his US-led backers see taking Falluja, which they say is the centre of the insurgency in Iraq, as critical to ensuring the polls go ahead and are free and fair.
Mr Annan's comments highlight long-standing differences with Washington over how best to restore peace in Iraq.
They drew a swift riposte from the British, which was stripped of any diplomacy. "He is allowed to say what he wants, but nevertheless we listen to the Iraqi government in this respect," a spokesman for the Foreign Office said. "It is easy for people not in Iraq to underestimate the overwhelming concern that the Iraqis themselves have for their security. So you cannot have an area as big as Falluja which is allowed to be a base for terrorism."
Mr Allawi described Mr Annan's letter as "confused". "It was a confused letter and message that I got from him. It's not clear to me and we are now seeking clarification.
"We don't know exactly what his intentions are," Mr Allawi said. "We don't know whom he means. It was a very unclear message. I don't know what he means by 'not to attack' or 'to attack'. What are the substitutes?
"I don't know what pressure he has to bear on the insurgents. If he can stop the insurgents from inflicting damage and killing Iraqis, then he is welcome."
Despite Mr Annan's urgings, US troops continue their build-up. They sealed all roads to Falluja yesterday and, in Arabic leaflets and loudspeaker messages, urged women, children and men of non-fighting age to flee. They said they would arrest any man under 45 trying to enter or leave the city.
Most of the Sunni Muslim city's 300,000 people have already left after weeks of intensive air and ground bombardments and clashes between insurgents and US marines.
"We are making last preparations. It will be soon. We are just awaiting orders from Prime Minister Allawi," Marines Col Michael Shupp said near Falluja.
US warplanes and artillery bombarded the city 50 km west of Baghdad on Friday, residents said. Rebels fired mortars and rocket-propelled grenades at US forces on the city outskirts, killing a US soldier and wounding five more. There was no immediate word on civilian casualties. The US military said overnight air raids had destroyed a command post, arms caches and rebel positions in the city.
Hospital workers said the raids had killed three people, wounded four and destroyed five houses. Two marines were killed and four wounded in combat on Thursday in Anbar province that includes Falluja and the city of Ramadi, also expected to be included in any offensive. - (Reuters)