Annan: Iraq in civil war, worse than under Saddam

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N03431252.htm

Annan: Iraq in civil war, worse than under Saddam

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Iraq was in the grips of a civil war and many people were worse off now than under Saddam Hussein, according to an interview to be broadcast on Monday.

Annan, who leaves office on Dec. 31 described Iraq as being in an extremely dangerous situation and again questioned the ability of Baghdad's leadership to solve the civil strife by themselves.

"When we had the strife in Lebanon and other places, we called that a civil war -- this is much worse," Annan said in an interview with BBC television and radio. Last week Annan told reporters Iraq was nearing civil war.

He said he agreed with Iraqis who claim that life is worse now than it was under Saddam. "I think they are right in the sense of the average Iraqi's life," he told interviewer Lyse Doucet, who spoke to him on Friday. BBC provided a transcript of the interview.

[UpInArms]

1. Iraq situation 'much worse' than civil war, Annan says

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/03/europe/EU_GEN_Britain_Annan_Interview.php

LONDON: The current situation in Iraq is "much worse" than civil war, the outgoing United Nations secretary-general said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. to be broadcast Monday.

Calling the situation "extremely dangerous," Kofi Annan said that the international community must help the country to rebuild because he is uncertain Iraq can accomplish it on its own.

"Given the level of violence, the level of killing and bitterness and the way that forces are arranged against each other, a few years ago, when we had the strife in Lebanon and other places, we called that a civil war; this is much worse," Annan said.

<snip>

"I think they are right in the sense of the average Iraqi's life," Annan said. "If I were an average Iraqi obviously I would make the same comparison, that they had a dictator who was brutal but they had their streets, they could go out, their kids could go to school and come back home without a mother or father worrying, "Am I going to see my child again?"

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[LynnTheDem]

2. WORSE OFF NOW than under Hussein.

A plain fact.