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U.N. Presses U.S. to Meet on Iraq Role
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan tried Friday to persuade President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell to send a delegation from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq to a meeting aimed at clarifying the U.N. role in helping rebuild the country. Annan called for the Jan. 15 meeting to get specific answers about what the Iraqi Governing Council or the U.S.-led coalition expect from the United Nations before a provisional government takes power in Iraq in June.
Isn’t that MLK Day? We can’t meet on a federal holiday. Maybe some other time.
The Bush administration has repeatedly said it wants the world body to play ``a vital role’’ in Iraq, but the November agreement between the coalition and the council on the timetable for a provisional government and elections by the end of 2005 does not mention the United Nations.
Oops, our bad.
Annan has said he is certain the Governing Council would attend the Jan. 15 meeting to discuss the specifics of the U.N. role, but preliminary consultations with the coalition have just started.
Lots of Federal holidays in January. I’m sure the Iraqis have holidays in January as well. Can we make it for February March July?
Annan spoke with Bush and Powell on Friday and neither the president nor the secretary of state committed to sending a coalition delegation, U.N. and diplomats sources said on condition of anonymity.
"Nope, nope, too inconvenient, those dates won’t work."
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said a decision has not been made. ``We’re in discussions with officials at the U.N. and the secretary-general to get a better idea of what specifically they have in mind and how specifically that could contribute to the goals that we all share,’’ Ereli said.
"We’re pretty sure that the best way they could contribute would be to stay out of the way, but Mr. Annan gets upset everytime we say that."
The United States views the U.N. role in Iraq as an issue between the United Nations and the Governing Council - not the coalition. ``We certainly welcome a dialogue between the U.N. and the Iraqis that would lead to a closer on-the-ground working relationship in Iraq itself,’’ Ereli said. ``And we would certainly be willing to play a supportive role in that process.’’
We could arrange security for any meetings in Baghdad -- you know, the kind of security that actually works, unlike the UN kind."
But Annan insists it must be ``a three-way conversation,’’ and it is unclear whether he would accept the coalition in a supporting role.
"There he goes again! Quick, somebody prepare a seven-course meal!"
The Bush administration has been pressing for a quick return of the U.N.’s international staff to Baghdad, and has made clear it wants to hand over administration of the country to Iraqis as quickly as possible.
Similar message was delivered to the Weasels on reconstruction and debt relief: you want in, you actually have to make a contribution.
The secretary-general pulled all U.N. international staff out of Iraq in October after two bombings at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad and a series of attacks on humanitarian organizations. Annan considers the security situation in the country too dangerous for their return but believes the United Nations can do a lot from outside Iraq.
They’re doing a lot by staying away.
Posted by: Steve White 2003-12-20
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23068