UN joins US in developing economic aid for Iraq

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan agreed on Friday to help Iraq get political and financial
support in response to a request by Baghdad’s new prime
minister and President Bush, the United Nations said.

Annan received a telephone call from Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki earlier this week, while Foreign Minister
Hoshiyar Zebari spoke to the secretary-general in New York on
Thursday on the launching of an “International Compact for
Iraq.”

Under the plan, Baghdad would commit itself to a series of
yet undefined political, economic and security steps in
exchange for international aid and political support.

Annan “agreed to the Iraqi request for the U.N. to provide
strong support in developing the international compact,” U.N.
associate spokesman Farhan Haq said. “The secretary-general
looks forward to receiving more details from the Iraqis on the
compact and on the role they would wish the U.N. to play.”

Annan has assigned Mark Malloch Brown, the U.N. deputy
secretary-general, and Asraf Qazi, the chief U.N. envoy in
Iraq, as coordinators for the program.

On Wednesday, Bush told a news conference he would send
Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt and State Department
Counselor Philip Zelikow to the United Nations and abroad in an
effort to help Iraq develop the compact.

The two U.S. officials met Annan on Thursday to deliver a
message from Bush “supporting the Iraqi request for a lead U.N.
role in the process,” Haq said.

Bush also promised to help Iraq collect the balance of the
$13 billion pledged by international community, only $3 billion
of which has been paid.

Zebari, a Kurd, who has served in three Iraqi governments
since 2003, on Friday told the Council on Foreign Relations the
next six months were crucial for the newly formed Iraqi
government and the future of the U.S.-led foreign troops. He
also said neighboring countries could do more to help Iraq.

On Thursday, in a speech to the U.N. Security Council
Zebari asked the United Nations to “step up the provision of
funds and operational support.”

The world body has kept a low profile in Iraq since its top
staff were killed in the bombing of its headquarters in Baghdad
in September 2003.

“I remind U.N. members that hesitancy to engage fully in
Iraq only encourages the insurgency,” Zebari said. “As security
in Iraq improves, we request that the U.N. reinforce its staff
and increase its role throughout the country.”