Annan Discusses Iraq With Powell

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan insisted Thursday that the world body’s small staff in Iraq had “done all we need to do” to prepare for Iraq’s Jan. 30 elections, but he left open the possibility that the group could be expanded.

Appearing with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell at the State Department in what could be their final official meeting, Annan said that with 59 staff members in Iraq, the U.N. had “enough people in there to do the work.”

“If need be, we will put in the staff we need to get the work done,” he said.

“It’s not a question of numbers; it’s a question of what you need to get the job done.”

The U.S. has been pressing the United Nations for months to increase its election staff in Iraq. But the U.N., which withdrew from Iraq after 22 workers were killed in an August 2003 attack, has said it is reluctant to put more staff members at risk.

The U.N. did, however, announce Wednesday that it would open offices in two more Iraqi cities, Basra and Irbil.

Powell gave the U.N. effort a mild endorsement, saying Iraqis were responsible for conducting the election, and the U.N. was “certainly doing a good job supporting them.”

He said Annan told him that 6,000 Iraqis had been trained in conducting elections, and 130,000 had been hired to work at polling places.

Powell said the two men only briefly discussed the pending investigations of the United Nations oil-for-food program in Iraq, from which billions of dollars were allegedly diverted.

Annan told reporters that the oil-for-food program was “something that I’m concerned about and would want to get to the bottom of it.”

The secretary-general said he was “anxious to see the investigations concluded as quickly as possible so that we can ... put it behind us and focus on the essential work of the United Nations.”

The allegations have given fuel to Annan’s detractors, particularly in the Bush administration, whose support for the secretary-general appeared to be in question earlier this month.

But last week, John C. Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said that despite calls by some Republicans, “we are not suggesting or pushing for the resignation of the secretary-general.”

“We have worked well with him in the past and look forward to working with him for some time in the future,” he said.

Annan did not meet with President Bush, but told reporters he did not feel snubbed.

“The president and I have met on many occasions and also do talk on the phone.... I don’t feel that if I come to Washington and we don’t get a chance to meet, I should feel offended or snubbed.”

He noted that he did meet with national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, who has been nominated to succeed Powell.