The United Nations vowed today to stay in Iraq despite a truck bomb attack at itsBaghdad headquarters that killed at least 20, while Britain andother European states even pressed for a stronger UN mandate.
As rescuers hunted survivors and hauled bodies from theruins of the UN building after yesterday's suspected suicidebombing, some staff were flown to Jordan as an evacuation beganof the many wounded or traumatised by the blast.
A UN source said a decision had been made to pull outtemporarily up to 250 international staff on security groundsafter the most devastating attack on a UN civilian complex inthe world body's 58-year history.
No group has claimed responsibility, but Mr Paul Bremer, Iraq'sAmerican governor and an anti-terrorism expert, said the mainsuspects were groups linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaedanetwork and supporters of Saddam Hussein.
Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan said UN work in Iraq would goon even though the top UN envoy to Iraq, Mr Sergio Vieira deMello, was among those killed. At least 100 people were wounded.
"We will persevere, we have work to do," he said inStockholm. "We will not be intimidated."
Mr Annan cut short his holiday in Europe to return to New Yorkto meet the Security Council today where Britain,America's strongest ally in the war that toppled Saddam inApril, prepared to press for an expanded UN mandate.
"One of the things I will be discussing in New York tomorrowis whether we have a strengthened UN mandate," said BritishForeign Secretary Mr Jack Straw, without elaborating.
France and Germany, both leading opponents of the war inIraq, also repeated calls for an expanded UN presence -something the United States has firmly resisted.
"The tragic events that just occurred in Iraq only reinforceour conviction over the role of the United Nations in restoringpeace and stability in Iraq," a French Foreign Ministryspokeswoman said.
More than 24 hours after the blast, rescue workers foundanother body this evening. More corpses and possiblesurvivors were still in the collapsed building, officials said.
Planes with wounded UN staff and others wishing to leavelanded in Jordan. Officials said there was no fullscale pullout.
"There are 20 dead and there are many believed still trappedin there," said Mr Ahmad Chalabi, one of the 25 members of Iraq'sUS-appointed Governing Council.
Mr Chalabi told a news conference the Governing Council hadreceived intelligence on August 14th that Saddam loyalists andMuslim fundamentalists had held a meeting to discuss a truckbomb attack either on an Iraqi political party or on the UnitedNations. He said the warning was passed on to US forces.