Najaf Civilian Deaths Trouble Annan

08/08/2004| IslamWeb

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has expressed extreme concern over the renewed fighting in Iraq, particularly in the Iraqi city of Najaf. A spokesman for Annan on Friday said the secretary general was "particularly troubled by the high death toll including civilian casualties". "He believes that, in such a situation, force should be [a] last resort. He calls for every effort to be made, even at this late hour, to work out a ceasefire and peaceful solution," the spokesman said. "The United Nations is ready to extend its facilitating role to the current crisis, if this would be helpful," he added. **Amnesty welcomed*** The spokesman also welcomed Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's offer of limited amnesty. "The Prime Minister's offer today of a limited amnesty and wider participation in the political process are steps in the right direction," he said. Allawi has offered month-long amnesty to those who are caught in possession of light weapons and explosive materials and those who concealed information about resistance fighters or might have sheltered or financed them. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Iraqi medical sources say civilian casualties have been high. (Al-Jazeera)