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SEPTEMBER 12, 10:32 ET

Annan Urges U.S. Not to Act Alone
By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Addressing the world's leaders at the opening of the annual General Assembly debate on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for urgent action to address ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia and urged the United States not to act alone against Iraq.
In his speech, the secretary-general put Iraq second on a list of four current threats to world peace ``where true leadership and effective action are badly needed.'' First on the list is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and after Iraq comes Afghanistan and the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir.
Advocating the importance of international cooperation for ``even the most powerful countries,'' Annan said any state that is attacked retains the right to self-defense under the U.N. Charter.
He opposed any pre-emptive action without Security Council backing, echoing concerns expressed by many countries, including close U.S. allies.
The secretary-general also accused Iraq of continuing to defy mandatory council resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which allows the use of military force — and he indicated that time was running short for Iraq to admit weapons inspectors and dismantle any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Before Annan spoke, he met briefly with President Bush, who was expected to present his case against Iraq in a speech later in the morning. U.S. officials said he would demand Iraq let in weapons inspectors and urge world leaders to insist on Saddam Hussein's compliance.
Sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that its weapons of mass destruction have been destroyed. But inspectors left ahead of U.S. and British airstrikes in December 1998, and Iraq has banned them from returning.
``If Iraq's defiance continues, the Security Council must face its responsibilities,'' Annan said.
Western diplomats said it was significant that Annan was not only telling the United States to go through the Security Council, but telling its 15 members — who are often divided on Iraq — that if Iraq refuses to allow inspectors back, they cannot stand by and do nothing.
Bush is among more than 50 presidents and prime ministers and over 125 foreign ministers scheduled to address the assembly during the high-level session, which ends Sept. 20. With the international body operating under the highest threat level, security was tight and streets around U.N. headquarters were blocked by concrete barriers, city buses and trucks filled with sand.
Many countries are hoping their concerns won't be ignored during the general debate. A daylong meeting on Sept. 16 will focus on promoting Africa's development, and countries also want to talk about eradicating poverty, opening world markets and bringing peace to a host of global hotspots.
In addition to the numerous one-on-one sessions between leaders at this year's session, foreign ministers from about 20 countries concerned with Afghanistan will meet behind closed doors on Sept. 13. Senior officials from the so-called Quartet which has been trying to promote Mideast peace — the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia — will meet on Sept. 17.
Annan said an international peace conference on the Mideast is needed ``without delay.'' He also urged the international community to help the new Afghan government extend its authority throughout the country, saying ``without this, all else will fail'' — and he called on nations to address the underlying causes that brought nuclear-armed India and Pakistan close to confrontation.