A United Nations report on Iraq echoed many of the dire predictions in an American assessment, but was also more optimistic about the fight against Al Qaeda.

Like the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate released this week, the survey for the UN Security Council made public yesterday concluded the Iraq war has "provided many recruits and an excellent training ground" for Al Qaeda.

It also said the war has increasingly exported deadly new tactics to Afghanistan.

"New explosive devices are now used in Afghanistan within a month of their first appearing in Iraq," the report said.

But the UN report was more upbeat than the National Intelligence Estimate.

It claimed Al Qaeda "may see more losses than gains" in Iraq.

The flow of foreign fighters into Iraq hasslowed to a trickle, and the slaying of Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have confused the uprising, the UN revealed...