Iraq: UN envoy calls for unity in face of bombings, kidnappings, ‘indiscriminate terror’

The top United Nations envoy to Iraq today called on all Iraqis to unite in the face of the recent surge of violence, voicing dismay at last week’s car-bombing in Baghdad in which scores of innocent people were killed or injured, and yesterday’s kidnapping of dozens of people from an Iraqi Red Crescent office.

In a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative Ashraf Qazi said these acts of violence and terror had further exacerbated the fragile security condition in Baghdad and other parts of the country.

Citing the recent rash of explosions, bombings, kidnappings and other targeted or indiscriminate acts of terror against the civilians, Mr. Qazi “appealed to all Iraqis to join hands in combating such violence that threatens the Iraqi nation,” the statement said.

He specifically noted Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s convening of a recent reconciliation conference, stressing that such initiatives needed to be built upon to ensure that all Iraqis are soon able to taste the fruits of peace and security.

“In this regard, he urged the regional and international community to assist the Prime Minister in his efforts,” the statement said, reiterating UNAMI’s readiness to assist the Government in its consensus building and reconciliation efforts in order to ensure their success.