"Sectarian violence and insurgent attacks increased throughout Iraq over the past three months, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said in the most negative report an American envoy has given to the Security Council since the 2003 invasion.
"The insurgency remains potent and viable, although its visibility has been overshadowed by the increase in sectarian violence," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said in the latest quarterly report to the council. "The average number of weekly attacks increased 15 percent over the previous reporting period, and Iraqi casualties increased by 51 percent." More
Washington Post: "U.N. inspectors investigating Iran's nuclear program angrily complained to the Bush administration and to a Republican congressman yesterday about a recent House committee report on Iran's capabilities, calling parts of the document "outrageous and dishonest" and offering evidence to refute its central claims."
"U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said leaders of Middle Eastern nations believe the Iraq war has "been a real disaster" for the region.
His comments to reporters on Wednesday came after a two-week trip through the Middle East and on a day when separate bomb attacks killed at least 22 people in Baghdad.
"Honestly, most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them," Annan said. "They believe it has destabilized the region." More
"George Clooney takes his plea to stop the genocide in Darfur to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. The actor, who visited Darfur in April with his father, Nick, will address the U.N. in a briefing organized by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. Clooney and Wiesel will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon after the briefing." More
"Sudan insisted yesterday that there would be no security vacuum if African peacekeepers leave Darfur next month.
Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, warned on Friday that Sudan's leaders could be held responsible for atrocities in the troubled western region if the African Union force is forced to pull out and Khartoum refuses to allow their replacement by UN troops." More
"A Senate panel postponed a vote scheduled for Thursday on approving John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, a job he has held temporarily since last year when President Bush appointed him over Democratic opposition.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., gave no reason for the delay and did not say when the vote would be held. Bolton had been opposed by many Democrats but was expected to be confirmed by the Republican-led panel." More
"With armed conflicts raging around the world, prevention is too important to be left in the hands of governments alone, senior United Nations officials told the press in New York today on the eve of a General Assembly debate on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recent report on the issue.