WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United States rejected on Wednesday the saying that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has caused "a disaster" for the Middle East region.

    "I'm not going to engage in a further disputation with the secretary general of the United Nations, but we disagree with the characterization," White House spokesman Tony Snow said, while acknowledging "sectarian violence" in Iraq.

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who visited the Middle East recently, told reporters earlier in the day that the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath were "a real disaster" for the region.

    "Most of the leaders I spoke to felt the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath has been a real disaster for them," Annan said. "They believe it has destabilized the region." Enditem