Iraq's anti-aircraft fire against US planes in the no-fly zones cannot be interpreted as a 'material breach' of the latest UN resolution, says UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The White House had said that the fire did constitute a violation, but Donald Rumsfeld was later more cautious, saying that it would be insufficient to provoke a response at this stage. On the other hand he said that the US would not permit its aircraft to be attacked without a response, and that Annan did not necessarily represent 'the centre of gravity of the Security Council, on any particular issue at any particular time'.