Red Cross And U.N. To Reduce Iraq Staffs

Threat of More Attacks Outweighs U.S. Pleas. The United Nations and the Red Cross will scale back their presence in Iraq, officials said Wednesday, responding to the threat of new terrorist attacks after a suicide car bombing at Red Cross headquarters. Two U.S. soldiers were killed, meanwhile, when their Abrams tank struck an explosive device north of the capital on Tuesday night, the U.S. military said. Seven Ukrainian troops were wounded in a separate incident, the first reported ambush of troops serving in a Polish-led multinational division. U.N. officials said Secretary General Kofi Annan had decided to withdraw all 15 remaining international staff members from Baghdad. Annan discussed his decision with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, who argued against the withdrawal. U.S. officials expressed concern that the U.N. departure could increase pressure on private aid agencies to reconsider their roles in Iraq. Full Story