UN’s Ban urges support for plan to “normalize” Iraq
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for international support on Friday for a five-year Iraq reconstruction plan that he described as a tool to unlock the potential of the Middle Eastern nation. Ban and Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi unveiled the International Compact with Iraq, which would see Iraq given international support — financial, political and technical — in return for political, security and economic reforms. The compact, which was discussed by more than 80 countries, outlines targets for Iraq to hit during the next five years, including annual economic goals. Full Story