WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) called Kofi Annan (news - web sites) a "good" U.N. secretary-general on Friday, after days in which Washington chose not to defend the diplomat against a U.S. senator's demand he resign.
It was unclear whether Powell's comments signaled genuine support for Annan, under fire over suspected corruption in the U.N.'s now-defunct Iraq (news - web sites) oil-for-food humanitarian program, or simply aimed to soften the widespread impression Washington has no great desire to back the U.N. chief.
"Secretary-General Annan is a good secretary-general," Powell told Reuters in the first positive comment about Annan from a top U.S. official since Sen. Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record), a Minnesota Republican investigating the program, said he should resign because of the suspected oil-for-food abuses.
Powell, echoing the view of President Bush (news - web sites) -- who avoided any endorsement of Annan this week -- said people should wait until congressional and independent probes of the program are complete before reaching conclusions.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=6&u=/nm/20041203/pl_nm/un_powell_dcNot sure I'd call "good" lauding Annan :eyes:
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