16 September 2004 -- The United States says it disagrees with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's assertion that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was illegal.
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters today that the United States respects Annan's views. But he said that the U.S. government believes that the military action had a sound legal basis grounded in a number of United Nations Security Council resolutions dealing with Iraq.
Campaigning in the midwestern state of Minnesota, U.S. President George W. Bush again defended the March 2003 invasion without directly referring to Annan's comments.
Bush said the UN examined the same intelligence he looked at and concluded that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a threat.
(Agencies)
Campaigning in the midwestern state of Minnesota, U.S. President George W. Bush again defended the March 2003 invasion without directly referring to Annan's comments.
Bush said the UN examined the same intelligence he looked at and concluded that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a threat.
(Agencies)