On September 22, 2003, it is believed that Kofi Annan, the UN General Secretary, will challenge George Bush's doctrine of pre-emptive military intervention because it could lead to the unjustified "lawless use of force and pose a fundamental challenge to world peace and stability".
On September 23, 2003, many head of states and governments talked to the General Assembly of the UN. It soon became obvious that the UN was loosing patience with the American way. President Bush certainly realised that he was isolated as he rejected criticism from world leaders over the war in Iraq. He did not apologised for defying the world and going to war without UN approval, or for failing to establish security in Iraq. But he asked to set aside previous differences of opinion and help the USA and Britain to rebuild the country. He said: "Now Iraq needs and deserves our aid and all nations of goodwill should step forward and provide that support". What he really meant is that the Americans are fed up with his Iraqi policy, the number of soldiers killed, and the cost. What he wants is for other countries to send soldiers -to be killed instead of the Americans- and money to rebuild what they have destroyed bombing the cities and civilian targets, while they keep control over the country. His requests were received in complete silence with only polite applause at the end while his critics were given a warmer reception. President Chirac blamed the USA for starting one of the worse crisis facing the UN and added that the US' actions could lead to anarchy; "No one can act alone in the name of all, and no one can accept the anarchy of a society without rules". He also asked the US and Britain to give back the power to an Iraqi government. Kofi Annan, the UN General Secretary, attacked the USA, saying that the doctrine of pre-emptive military actions could lead to unjustified "lawless use of force and create a fundamental challenge to world peace and stability".
On March 17, 2004, the UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan, said that the former Spanish Prime Minister, José Maria Aznar, was to blame personally for his electoral defeat. Backing the Iraq war, and attributing responsibility for last week terrorist attacks in Madrid without proof were two big mistakes. The new prime minister elect, Zapatero, repeated yesterday that if the control of the foreign troops in Iraq was not given to the UN on June 30, he would pull out the 1,300 Spanish soldiers. He added that the occupation was a disaster and that, one year after the invasion, still attacking terrorists with bombs and missiles showed it clearly. He believes that this is not the way to defeat terrorism. The White House is now calling Mr Zapatero an "appeaser" and asked all the members of the coalition, including Spain, to go on fighting terrorism and not to withdraw their troops and support. Obviously Mr Aznar created a lot of problems, and not only in Spain, in his last days as a prime minister.
On May 8, 2004, Tony Blair urged Pakistan and India to send some troops in Iraq but they will not do such thing without a specific UN resolution requesting them.
On May 13, 2004, the French foreign minister Michel Barnier described Iraq as being a "black hole" in which the Middle East and the world are sinking. He asked the US government to hand real and full sovereignty to the new Iraqi interim government on June 30. France's main objections to a new UN Security Council resolution lies with the role of the coalition forces after June 30. The US-led coalition authority will be disbanded on that date but about 140,000 US soldiers will remain there under their own authority. France wants the Iraqi interim government fully consulted about the use of American forces. In addition France wants that the government that will be formed after the elections foreseen for January 2005 to decide if the coalition soldiers must stay or leave.
On June 23, 2004, the US cancelled a request to the UN Security Council to extend for one more year the two year-old exemptions for its troops from international prosecution for war crimes. The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said that the request should be dropped due to the Iraqi prisoner abuses as well as the probable illegality of such an exemption. The US was not certain to gather the nine votes necessary to have the resolution adopted. The real shame was asking for it as the International Criminal Court can only prosecute cases of genocides, war crimes, and crimes against humanity only when countries are unwilling or unable to do justice themselves.
On September 15, 2004, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the BBC the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter. He said the decision to take action in Iraq should have been made by the Security Council, not unilaterally. The UK government responded by saying the attorney general made the "legal basis... clear at the time". Mr Annan also warned security in Iraq must considerably improve if credible elections are to be held in January. "I hope we do not see another Iraq-type operation for a long time - without UN approval and much broader support from the international community," he added. He said he believed there should have been a second UN resolution following Iraq's failure to comply over weapons inspections. When pressed on whether he viewed the invasion of Iraq as illegal, he said: "Yes, if you wish. I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal." Mr Annan's comments provoked angry suggestions from a former Bush administration aide that they were timed to influence the US November election. Mr Annan also said in the interview the UN would give advice and assistance in the run-up to the Iraqi elections, but it was up to the interim government to decide whether such a vote should go ahead. He warned there could not be "credible elections if the security conditions continue as they are now".
The US-led war in Iraq hasn't made the world any safer, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a British TV interview aired Sunday October 17, 2004. Annan has previously described the US-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein as "illegal."
41,856 People across the world overwhelmingly believe the war in Iraq has increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks worldwide, a poll revealed on February 28, 2006. Some 60% of people in 35 countries surveyed believe this is the case, against just 12% who think terrorist attacks have become less likely. In 20 countries, there is support for US-led forces to withdraw from Iraq in the next few months. Only in nine of the remaining 15 countries do more people believe US-led forces should remain until the situation is stabilised. Six countries are divided. The removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003 is seen as a mistake in 21 countries, compared with 11 countries where more people view it as the right decision. Three countries are divided. The countries most eager for US coalition withdrawal are Argentina (80%), Egypt (76%), China (67%) and Brazil (67%). Those which favour troops staying for the time being are the US (58%), Afghanistan (58%), Australia (57%) and Great Britain (56%).
The UN's top refugee official hinted on February 17, 2008, that security in Iraq may soon have improved enough for some of the 4 millions Iraqi refugees to begin returning home. Some 2m Iraqis have fled abroad, while another 2m are displaced inside Iraq.
Iraq: Key figures since the war began to June 1, 2010:
1- U.S. Troops level:
October 2007: 170,000 at peak of troop build-up.
May 31, 2010: 89,000.
2- Casualties:
Confirmed U.S. military deaths as of May 31, 2010: at least 4,400.
Confirmed U.S. military wounded (hostile) as of May 28, 2010: 31,827.
Confirmed U.S. military wounded (non-hostile, using medical air transport)
as of May 1, 2010: 39,203.
Deaths of civilian employees of U.S. government contractors as of March
31, 2009: 1,471.
Assassinated Iraqi academics as of May 27, 2010: 438.
Journalists killed on assignment as of June 1, 2010: 141.
3- Cost:
Nearly $726 billion, according to the National Priorities Project.
4- Oil production:
Pre-war: 2.58 million barrels per day.
May 26, 2010: 2.40 million barrels per day.
5- Electricity:
Pre-war nationwide: 3,958 megawatts. Hours per day (estimated): 4-8.
May 25, 2010: Nationwide: 5,580 megawatts. Hours per day: N/A.
Pre-war Baghdad: 2,500 megawatts. Hours per day: 16-24.
May 25, 2010: Baghdad: N/A. Hours per day: N/A.
6- Telephones:
Pre-war land lines: 833,000.
January 2010: 1,300,000.
Pre-war cell phones: 80,000.
Idem January 2010: An estimated 19.5 million.
6- Water:
Pre-war: 12.9 million people had potable water.
April 30, 2010: More than 21.9 million people have potable water.
7- Sewage:
Pre-war: 6.2 million people served.
April 30, 2010: 11.5 million people served.
8- Internal refugees:
Pre-war: 1,021,962.
May 2010: At least 1.5 million people are currently displaced inside Iraq.
9- Emigrants:
Pre-war: 500,000 Iraqis living abroad.
March 2010: Approximately 2 million Iraqis, mainly in Syria and Jordan.