UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The United Nations says international staff members in Baghdad are about to be called to consultations in the region with U.N. headquarters officials.
U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters Thursday Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to call the remaining international staff in the Iraqi capital -- believed at about 20 -- to the meeting with the headquarters officials at an as-yet unspecified date, "probably in Lanarca," Cyprus, where the world organization has an Iraq support base.
She said the decision was made in the course of Annan's "constant and close review," particularly in light of the recent wave of violence in Baghdad, which included the attack on Monday on the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"In light of these developments he has asked the small remaining team of international officials in Baghdad to come out temporarily for consultations with people from U.N. headquarters so that we can thoroughly reconsider our operations in Iraq and the security arrangements that we will need if we are to continue working there," Okabe said.
