SG: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
Of course, yesterday was a terrible day for all of us, and something that we had not anticipated, given the fact that we have been in Iraq for over twelve years and nothing like this had happened and generally the Iraqis have worked with us and worked very well with us and all the humanitarian agencies.
For people who went to Iraq with the only objective of assisting the people of Iraq, to be killed in such a violent and senseless manner is something that none of us will ever comprehend. But whatever the cause of those who did it, this is not going to serve their cause. I have had many calls from leaders around the world, supporting the UN operation, expressing sympathy, and offering assistance and support. And we will carry on our work. As I have indicated, we shall not be deterred. We do have a responsibility to help stabilize Iraq. The stability of Iraq is in the interest, not just of the Iraqis, but of the entire region, and of the international community, the entire world. It is the responsibility of all of us and we are going to keep at it until we succeed.
Q: Are you going to review the size of the UN Mission in Iraq and the way it is deployed?
SG: We have a mandate from the Security Council to establish UNAMI. We will go ahead and establish that mission. Obviously, we are going to reassess certain things. It will be necessary, I am sure, to strengthen and reassess our security arrangements and that process has already begun.
Q: Have you thought of who would replace Mr. [Sergio Vieira] de Mello?
SG: I think it is a bit too early for me for me to jump into that, but that is something that I have been working on for some time. I have no announcement to make today.
Q: What have you talked with world leaders about the situation in Iraq, and how will it influence your opinion for the prolonging of the Mission?
SG: They have all condemned what has happened, and they all realize the importance of the role of the United Nations in Iraq, and the fact that we will have to continue, and the Iraqi people want us to continue. I think those who undertook this violent act are not acting on behalf of the Iraqi people nor are they speaking for them. We will continue our work and we have lots of support around the world and from around the region.
Q: There was a report earlier today that said the UN had turned down an offer from the United States for increased security around the mission. Do you know anything about that?
SG: Well, I read it and I must say I was a bit surprised. First of all, I was surprised that we would turn down such an offer, and secondly, that kind of decision should not be left to the protected. It is those who have responsibility for security and law and order, who have intelligence, who determine what action is taken. I don't know if the UN did turn down an offer of protection, but if it did it was not correct, and they should not have been allowed to turn it down. We all live in this city. Nobody tells you if you want the police to patrol your neighbourhood. They make the assessment that patrol and protection is needed, and it's done. And that's what should be done in Iraq.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, to what extent, if any, do you hold the coalition accountable for failing to provide adequate security?
SG: Look, nation-building is a tough assignment. We have done it on many, many occasions, and it is different from country to country. And when you have this kind of terrorist attack, and the people perpetrating the attack are prepared to die, providing security and protection is extremely difficult. We are all aware, we have all been aware that security has been a problem in Iraq, and I know that efforts are being made to bring that under control, and I hope that will succeed soon, because without security, quite a lot of the things that the international community wants to do cannot happen.
Q: What specifically will you ask from the Security Council today, this afternoon, as far as getting better security, not only for the UN mission, but for [inaudible]?
SG: I think generally I am going to have an exchange of views with the Council, and as I indicated, we are assessing the situation and are going to make a judgment what additional requirements, in terms of security and others that we will need, and I will demand that of the Council.
Q: Are you considering sending in a peacekeeping force?
SG: Do you mean a UN peacekeeping force, or the Council authorizing a multinational force? I think if you are thinking of a multinational force, that is an issue that is under discussion, but I do not see UN Blue Helmets going into Iraq at this stage. I don't think it is a job for Blue Helmets.
Q: Sir, you spoke of mistakes and wrong assumptions. Are these of the United Nations or of the coalition forces, who did you mean?
SG: Well, I think when you take on such a complex operation, one has to do planning ahead and I think there have been some wrong assumptions all along. The coalition has made some mistakes, and maybe we have made some mistakes, too.
Q: What kind of mistakes did the coalition make, and what are your mistakes?
SG: I don't want to go into the details. I don't want to get into finger-pointing. But I think we are all aware that along the way mistakes have been made by all concerned. Thank you very much.