US envoy declares support for Annan

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States expressed confidence in Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday and said he should remain at the helm of the United Nations, an abrupt turnaround from its refusal to back him last week after a US senator called for his resignation.

The unequivocal support from US Ambassador John Danforth, who said he was speaking on behalf of the Bush administration, aligned the United States with the 190 other members of the United Nations who rallied to support the beleaguered Annan.

"We are not suggesting or pushing for the resignation of the secretary general," Danforth said. "We have worked well with him in the past and look forward to working with him for some time in the future."

Senator Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, called last week for Annan's resignation amid allegations of corruption in the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq made headlines and led to an outpouring of support from nations around the world.

The leaders of Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and other countries phoned the secretary general to back him, and Annan got a rare standing ovation Wednesday from the UN General Assembly which includes all 191 UN member states.

President Bush twice refused to support the secretary general last week, stressing that he wanted a "full and fair and open accounting of the oil-for-food program" so US taxpayers "feel comfortable about supporting the United Nations."

Some UN officials and diplomats saw this as a veiled threat that the United States might again stop paying its UN dues.

Danforth also called for a thorough investigation. But he said Tuesday he had "great confidence" in the secretary-general.

On Wednesday, US deputy ambassador Patrick Kennedy joined in the ovation at the end of Annan's presentation to the General Assembly of a report that called for the most sweeping reforms of the United Nations since its founding in 1945.

Annan said Tuesday he would stay on as UN chief and focus on reform during his final two years.

Danforth said US support for a thorough oil-for-food investigation had been misinterpreted as a lack of confidence in Annan and a desire for his resignation.

He said he was asked to clarify that the United States supported the secretary-general and did not want him to step down.

In his news conference yesterday, which was delayed for five hours, Danforth said the oil-for-food probe was essentially "a criminal investigation" and that the investigators must determine whether anyone is guilty of bribery, payoffs and corruption.

"We are expressing confidence in the secretary-general and in his continuing in office. We are also saying that the investigation is critically important, that there is a cloud over the United Nations," Danforth said.