British Prime Minister Tony Blair has met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan this evening to discuss the violence in Iraq and to hear what role the UN expects to play there in the coming months.
Ahead of a summit tomorrow with US President George W Bush, Mr Blair was to get details from Mr Annan on UN plans for creating an interim government in Baghdad
The hand over of power from the US-British coalition is to go ahead on 30 June.
US to raise troop numbers in Iraq: Myers
The United States’ most senior military officer has said that US troop numbers will be increased in Iraq due to ‘significant security challenges’.
US Airforce General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers, made the comments at a news conference during a surprise visit to Baghdad.
General Myers also said that foreign fighters were still infiltrating Iraq from Syria and Iran.
Also speaking at the conference, the head of US forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said the use of force could not be ruled out in the stand-off against the radical Shiite cleric leader, Moqtada Sadr.
US troops are poised around the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, where al-Sadr is believed to be. The United States has vowed to kill or capture the rebel cleric and destroy his militia.
Tours extended for 20,000 troops
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has meanwhile said 20,000 American troops, now serving in Iraq, would have their tour of duty extended.
In another development, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the US will order non-essential US diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia due to heightened security fears in the kingdom.
