UN, international organizations in Iraq evacuated because of the explosions
Iraq-Jordan, Politics, 8/21/2003

The bloody explosion in Baghdad which claimed the life of the UN representative in Iraq in additions to the many killed and wounded, raised a state of unrest yesterday in the lines of the UN which issued contradictory instructions to its employees on withdrawal from Iraq to Jordan and by the ultimate end rested on "partial evacuation" to Amman at a time when a group of other international organizations pulled out all employees from Baghdad.

The explosion has brought back controversy to circles in Washington on the need to make amendments on the mission of the occupation forces in Iraq and on the use of expanding the UN participation in Iraq and the extent of the deep need to seek the support of international forces, while Britain, on its own behalf and on behalf of the US seeks greater authorization by the UN, whose secretary general Kofi Annan admitted "mistakes," committed by the occupation forces that were conducive to this tragedy.

The occupation forces avoided to admit responsibility for what had happened and directed accusations to each of Saddam Hussein's associates and Ansar al-Islam and foreign fighters, stressing that "Iraq is not in a state of chaos."

The US administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer said " we have a security problem. This security problem has now a terrorist dimension. This is a new, but the other conditions relating to the security situation are better than three months ago when I came here," stressing that "we have a terrorist element.. and this does not mean chaos."

However, hopes diminished to find survivors under the remains of the building, while the victims of the explosion numbered 24 including one American, two Canadians, two Philippines, one Egyptian, one British woman and a Spanish army officer and 107 wounded. The spokeswoman for the UN said there are several persons who are still missing.

Meantime, the American army announced that one American soldier was killed when his vehicle collided with another as the supply caravan which was escorting them was exposed to fire near al-Dewaneyah.

Another US patrol was exposed yesterday in Tikrit to missile shelling and this resulted in killing one Iraqi translator and wounding of two Americans.

The American army also announced that one American soldier was wounded in his hand by Iraqi resistance as an American unit left a position in Tikrit it stormed into it, according to information which said that Saddam Hussein is hiding in it, in an operation in which five persons were arrested, but Saddam Hussein was not among them.

Previous Stories:
  Top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello killed in blast in Baghdad   (8/20/2003)
  Lahoud, al-Hariri and Obeid condemn the criminal aggression against UN headquarters in Baghdad   (8/20/2003)
  Financial Times: Saudi Islamists cross for Iraq   (8/20/2003)
  Iraqi constitution work to start soon   (8/19/2003)
  Increased Shiite rejection of occupation   (8/16/2003)

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