UNITED NATIONS (IPS)�UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he and diplomats at the world body were "disturbed" by a U.S. statement claiming a legitimate right to extend military attacks beyond Afghanistan.

The threat to attack other, unnamed "terrorist states"�possibly including Iraq and Syria�was implied Oct. 8 in a letter to the UN Security Council from U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte.

"There is one line in that letter that disturbed some of us," Mr. Annan said Oct. 9.

"I think the one sentence which has caused some anxiety amongst the membership�which I�ve also asked about�was the question that they (the U.S. administration) may find it necessary to go after other organizations and other states," beyond al-Qaeda and Afghanistan, he added.

Mr. Annan noted, however, that the letter added this is not a "predictor of any intentions" on Washington�s part.

"Basically, it is a statement that they are at early stages and keeping their options open," he said.

The U.S. State Department�s list of seven "terrorist states" includes Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, North Korea and Cuba.

The U.S. administration reportedly remains divided over whether it also should launch military attacks on Iraq and other states in the Middle East.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, described as a "hawk," is said to have favored an attack on Iraq. But Secretary of State Colin Powell and other members of the administration have said the initial focus should be limited to Afghanistan, home to Osama bin Laden, Washington�s prime suspect as the mastermind behind Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

Administration and independent diplomatic analysts have warned that the broader the counter-terrorist attacks, the more difficult it will prove to build and maintain the broad international coalition from which Washington intends to draw political, diplomatic, and material succor.

Washington is interested in ensuring that the coalition includes Muslim nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan�and possibly even Iran.

So far, very few Muslim nations have volunteered to join the coalition. Egypt and Iran have said they would enlist only if the coalition was under the auspices of the United Nations.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have volunteered their cooperation but refused to permit their territories to be used to launch military attacks on Afghanistan.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy�s Fifth Fleet; the United States also has pre-positioned military equipment in Oman.

President George W. Bush continues to reiterate that his "war" against terrorism�and specifically against Afghanistan�should not be construed as a campaign against Islam or Muslim nations.

In his letter to the Security Council, Mr. Negroponte cited Article 51 of the UN charter, under which a member state is given the legitimate right to launch military attacks in self defense.

"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security," Article 51 states in part.

Mr. Negroponte described the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes as "armed attacks carried out against the United States."

In the one sentence that has evoked strong reactions, he said: "We may find that our self-defense requires further actions with respect to other organizations and other states."

Mr. Negroponte singled out Mr. bin Laden�s al-Qaeda as the organization behind the terrorist attacks.