The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) has beenproviding humanitarian relief and support for the politicaltransition, including help in organizing elections and aconstitutional referendum, and Annan pledges that this willcontinue despite difficulties. "The security environment continues to constrain both theorganization's presence and its ability to operate effectivelyin Iraq," he wrote in the quarterly report. "In order to provide UN staff members with best securitypossible, and therefore ensure the organization is able tomaintain a presence in Iraq, we have had to introduce a numberof mitigating and protective measures in place which are bothexpensive and time-consuming," Annan told the Council. On the continuing lack of security, the Secretary-Generalcited "an increasingly sophisticated and complex insurgencyunderscored by high levels of violence, intimidation andmurder." He also noted that the human rights situation"continues to warrant grave concern." "Ongoing armed-group attacks, violent crime, arbitraryarrests on a large scale and allegations of mistreatment indetention centers constitute major human rights violations,"Annan said, citing charges of execution-style killings andtorture against Iraqi Special Forces and large-scaledisplacements of civilians due to operations by the Iraqi armyand US-led forces. --SPA1411 Local Time 1111 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/309467