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UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered all U.N. weapons inspectors and humanitarian staff to leave Iraq on Monday.

Annan made the announcement after telling a closed Security Council meeting of his plans. He did not say when the evacuations would begin.

"I have just informed the council that we will withdraw the UNMOVIC and atomic agency inspectors. We will withdraw the U.N. humanitarian workers," Annan said.

According to U.N. officials, a total of 156 U.N. inspectors and support staff are in Iraq from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is in charge of nuclear inspections, and the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, known as UNMOVIC, which inspects chemical, biological and long-range missiles.