The UN chief is apparently in favor of maintaining Fallujah as a terrorist stronghold:

“UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned leaders of the United States, Britain and Iraq that another full-scale assault on the rebel-held city of Falluoja would further alienate Iraqis and disrupt elections planned for January.

Annan’s warning, contained in a letter sent Sunday, has angered some officials here.

’This is an issue for the government of Iraq,’ said British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry. ‘It’s easy for those not in Iraq to underestimate the overwhelming concern the Iraqis have for security. There cannot be an area as big as Fallouja which is allowed to be a base for terrorism.”

Some diplomats said Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi was ‘furious’ when he received the letter. Iraq’s new U.N. ambassador immediately sought to meet with Annan to argue that the U.N. was interfering. Allawi recently criticized Annan for not doing enough to help Iraq prepare for elections. The world body’s officials say Iraq is not secure enough for more U.N. workers to help organize the nationwide vote….”