Annan Rues Iraq Oil-for-food Plan

Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, expressed regret last night that the organisation had ever become involved in the Iraq oil-for-food programme.

An investigation into the programme is due to be published tomorrow, with Mr Annan expected to be criticised for poor management.

In an interview with the BBC World Service Mr Annan, who is in London, said: "Honestly I wish we were never given that programme, and I wish the UN would never be asked to take that kind of a programme again."

The oil-for-food programme was set up in 1996 to alleviate the impact of UN sanctions on Iraq by allowing Saddam Hussein to swap oil for food. The security council asked the UN to run it. But it was abused, mainly by Saddam, who is alleged to have used part of the revenues to buy influence.

A senior UN official, Benon Sevan, is accused of corruptly receiving £83,000 to help to facilitate an oil deal.

Mr Annan ordered an inquiry into the affair last year, headed by Paul Volcker, the former head of the US Federal Reserve, who has released a series of interim reports that have damaged the reputation of the secretary general.

Mr Annan has suffered from disclosures about the role of his son, Kojo, whose company secured one of the oil-for-food contracts.

UN sources predict the report will focus more on Mr Annan's management than his son.

Mr Annan, who met Mr Volcker in New York last week, said: "I suspect that there will be lots of criticism for myself as chief admin officer, probably something on the 661 committee [which ran the programme], the security council, the government of Iraq. When it comes to Iraq on this issue, no one is ... covered in glory."

Mr Annan angered the US and Britain last year when, during a BBC interview, he declared the Iraq war illegal.

The British government will not welcome his view, expressed last night, that the war has alienated Muslims and that Iraq has become a bigger base for terrorists than Afghanistan under the Taliban.