UNITED NATIONS, March 19: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reminded the United States and Britain on Wednesday of their legal duty to protect Iraqi civilians in what he called the imminent disaster of war.

“Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents,” he told an open meeting of the UN Security Council.

“In any area under military occupation, responsibility for the welfare of the population falls on the occupying power.”

The meeting began less than 11 hours before the expiry of an ultimatum from US President George W. Bush to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to leave his country. An attack on Iraq can begin any time after that, Bush said on Monday. —AFP