U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday condemned the killing of two Algerian diplomats in Iraq as the "senseless and brutal murder of innocent people" and called for the killers to be punished, dpa reported. "It is a barbaric act to kill innocent civilians, innocent diplomats, who are there to help the Iraqi people, and those responsible should be brought to account," Annan said. "We should do everything to bring them to account." Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has condemned the murders as a "cowardly and despicable execution" which outrages Algeria. The victims, among the first Algerian diplomats sent to Baghdad's new government, were charge d'affaires Ali Balarousi and diplomat Azzedin Belkady. -- SP 2231 Local Time 1931 GMT
