Annan repeats Iraq conflict worse than civil war

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-05-2006 08:58

Against the backdrop of sectarian violence in Iraq, UN Chief Kofi Annan has repeated his opinion that the situation in Iraq is worse than a civil war. Annan's remarks suggest a slight shift since last Monday when he said he believed the country was merely on the brink of civil war.

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

Meanwhile, A car bomb exploded at an intersection near a bakery in the northern Baghdad district of Qahira on Sunday, killing 3 people and wounding 15. And in Baqouba on Monday, gunmen shot dead 4 farm workers.

Bloodshed continues despite the presence of 40,000 US troops and the loss of more than 2,800 American lives in the past three and half years. The United Nations estimates sectarian violence claimed a record 3,700 lives in October. Iraqi sources also suggest a rise last month of more than 40 percent in civilian deaths.

Video : 3,709 killed in October in Iraq

Editor:Du Xiaodan