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U.S. Offers to Share Iraq Role With U.N.
Oh, bother. EFL.
Shifting tactics and reaching out for help, the Bush administration offered on Wednesday to share with the United Nations the long-dominant U.S. role in Iraq’s postwar reconstruction. Secretary of State Colin Powell described the effort as ``essentially putting the Security Council in the game,’’ and European governments reacted favorably to the revised U.S. approach. A new U.N. resolution proposed by the United States recognizes ``that international support for restoration of conditions of stability and security is essential to the well-being of the people of Iraq.’’
That’s always been true.
France, which led opposition to the war on Iraq, said the new resolution should ensure that political power will be transferred quickly to an internationally recognized Iraqi government to help restore peace. ``The question is how to win the peace — and how to have the situation stabilized,’’ France’s U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said in New York. ``So we will see the resolution with this in mind.’’
Well for openers, it has to keep TotalFinaElf out of Iraq!
Under the resolution, American commanders would remain in charge of peacekeeping operations in Iraq, but there, too, ``we are asking the international community to join us even more than they have in the past,’’ Powell said. In turning to the United Nations, the administration was modifying its strategy for postwar Iraq. But Powell said a U.N. resolution ``is all part of the president’s strategy of making sure that this is an international operation.’’ The resolution may be ready for submission to the Security Council next week, he said as he telephoned foreign ministers. U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte circulated a draft to other U.N. ambassadors in New York, and Powell said initial reactions were positive. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on his way to the Mideast, said countries that donate troops and money in Iraq would have a voice in both civil and military operations there. ``To the extent countries step up with troops and support and money, they have a seat at the table,’’ Rumsfeld said. ``They have the opportunity to work with us and the Iraqis.’’
Diplospeak for "ante up"! The grand plan becomes clear: if the Euros don’t contribute, they’ll no longer have a basis to complain.
The resolution envisions a substantial infusion of international aid to defray costs now largely borne by U.S. taxpayers. At the same time, the administration is preparing a new budget request for $60 billion to $70 billion for reconstruction and the military operation of Iraq — nearly double what Congress was expecting, The Washington Post reports.
Only the dimwitted in Congress (okay, that’s a solid majority) thought this was going to be done on the cheap.
In Brussels, the United States and other donors pushed ahead with plans to channel billions of dollars in reconstruction aid to Iraq through an international fund independent of the U.S.-led administration in Baghdad.
That sounds suspiciously like an oil-for-nooky program...
The new U.S. resolution, a draft of which was obtained by The Associated Press, would:
- Transform the U.S.-led coalition force into a U.N.-authorized multinational one under a unified command to help maintain ``security and stability in Iraq’’ and urge the 191 U.N.-member states to contribute troops.
UN "command", US commander, US/UK call the shots. That works.
- Call on U.N.-member states to help train and equip an Iraqi police force.
Germans, Spanish, Poles, etc. all to the good.
- Invite the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council to cooperate with the United Nations and U.S. officials in Baghdad to produce ``a timetable and program for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections.’’
As long as it’s from the ground up and not the top down, and as long as the nutters can’t introduce Sharia, fine.
- Ask the U.N. representative in Iraq to facilitate a ``national dialogue and consensus building’’ to promote the political transition and help organize elections.
A job description only a UN weenie could love! Wonder what the per diem is?
- Ask all U.N.-member states and regional and international organizations to ``accelerate the provision of substantial financial contributions’’ for Iraq’s reconstruction.
Ante up or shut up!
- Endorse the Iraqi Governing Council ``as the principal body of the Iraqi interim administration’’ and back its efforts ``to mobilize the people of Iraq.’’
I like that, gets the UN to endorse what Bremer has done. Hard to deny them a UN seat if this goes through.
- Call on countries in the region ``to prevent the transit of terrorists, arms for terrorists, and financing that would support terrorists.’’
Especially from the south.
The administration has been under pressure from European and other governments, as well as from members of Congress, to share responsibility on Iraq. The pressure has increased as U.S. casualties have mounted and jihaid casualties have soared. Powell said the decision to seek a U.N. resolution was not related to casualties. ``It is related to the evolutionary process that we have always had in mind to eventually restoring sovereignty back to the Iraqi people,’’ he said. On Tuesday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who had adamantly opposed the U.S.-led war to depose President Saddam Hussein, stressed ``the necessity of giving the United Nations a significantly greater role in the political process in Iraq.’’
Yeah, sure, whatever, are you in or are you out? Chips go to the middle of the table.
The British Foreign Office said Britain had always seen the United Nations as playing a vital role in Iraq. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, ``We should be willing to agree to a reasonable sharing of decision-making with respect to the physical and political reconstruction of Iraq.’’ By contrast, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was skeptical of ``this notion on the part of some of my colleagues that all we need to do is to get greater international support, including the U.N.’’
For some people, international support is an end in itself, not to be jeopardized by actually doing something...
Powell said one of the two key goals of the resolution was to invite the Iraqi governing council to submit a program and timetable for political evolution with a constitution and free elections. The second goal was to have the Security Council authorize a multinational force to which other nations might contribute troops. U.N. authorization is perceived by the administration as a way to induce India, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh and other countries to send troops. Some nations, such as India, ``felt like they needed additional authority from the U.N. to be able to participate,’’ White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Just what we need, Pak and Indian troops side-by-side. Criminy, next thing ya know the ISI will be asked to provide intel support.
Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18301