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Europe
Annan Backpedals Cancels His Visit to St. Pete
2003-04-09
HEAVILY edited for length – can you believe it was A LOT longer?
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's spontaneous trip to join President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Germany and France in St. Petersburg this weekend was called off only hours after it was announced. The quick turnabout underscores the sensitivity of the diplomatic game being played in world capitals as the Iraq war appears to be wrapping up. At issue is who will control postwar Iraq and namely what role the United Nations -- and countries that are not part of the U.S.-led coalition -- will play.
”Wait! The UN will have a vital role in post-war Iraq?! We CAN’T go to Russia now!”
If Annan had joined them, it would have been seen as a slap in the face of the United States, which has insisted that the U.S.-led coalition now fighting in Iraq has the right to control how Iraq is run and rebuilt.
Yes, slapping us again would not be the wisest move.
Only hours later, though, Annan's visit was canceled. He had planned to leave Wednesday on a trip to Britain, France and Germany, continuing on to Russia.
Annan's office in New York said Wednesday that the entire European tour was scrapped in favor of attending the European Union enlargement ceremony in Athens on April 17, when 10 more countries will join the EU. Putin was invited to Athens, but would be represented by Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, The Associated Press reported, citing the Greek government. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said it could not confirm officially that Ivanov is going to Athens, and Annan's press service also said it did not know if Ivanov would be meeting with the UN secretary-general there.
Ah. Where in Athens will they be doing lunch, then?
“The task that remains central is contacts with these powers [Britain, France, Germany and Russia] against the background of active work on the outlines of a postwar settlement,which includes us" Gorelik said. Dmitry Trenin, a foreign policy expert with the Moscow Carnegie Center, said Wednesday that Annan had canceled the St. Petersburg visit because appearing there with Schröder and Chirac would have been "scandalous." "He could not associate himself with a group of great powers," Trenin said. "After that, it would have been impossible for him to look the Bush administration in the face. He is already not quite popular with them."
Oh that’s an understatement

“The UN so far cannot serve as a 100 percent guarantee of conflict prevention," Interfax quoted Margelov as saying at a Russian-German conference in St. Petersburg. "But one cannot underestimate its role in both forming public consciousness and post-conflict settlement."
Sure we can.
The key issue is whether the United Nations, and consequently Russia as a permanent member of the Security Council, will have a say in administering Iraq after the war, or whether the organization's role will be reduced to humanitarian projects, thus giving legitimacy to the U.S.-led war without any decision-making role.
I vote for this.
"We will be working to ensure that the UN Security Council will approve such a transfer of power and also clear the way for the activities of specialized UN institutions, providing humanitarian aid, etc.," Izvestia quoted Vershbow as saying. "The final role for the UN is yet to be defined."
They're probably already working on getting the Food for Nooky program together, though. Some of those Iraqi babes looked pretty hot...
Commenting on talks U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice held in Moscow on Monday, Vershbow also said that there could be a place for the United Nations, Russia and other leading powers in the immediate postwar administration, along with the coalition and the Iraqis. "We have quite detailed plans, but they are not formally adopted yet," Vershbow was quoted as saying. "So we think that Russia, which has interests in this country, should take part in the discussions on this subject."
”Please let us weasel ingratiate our way into some money deals projects!”
Posted by:Tadderly

#10  Put the UN HQ in Baghdad.
Posted by: TJ Jackson   2003-04-10 00:07:11  

#9  Tad, your hilites work properly if I click the 'e-mail' or 'comments'.
Posted by: Steve White   2003-04-09 19:38:25  

#8  Tadderly, yeah, I can believe it was a lot longer. For some reason, there's a Russian belief that if you take forever to say something it must be profound. Prime example: Doestoevsky.
It will just be interesting to see who stabs who in the back first, France or Russia. Talk about a match made in hell.
Posted by: Former Russian Major   2003-04-09 19:23:25  

#7  In regards to the posturing going on in Europe, I am reminded of a book I recently read which had some really amazing statements in it and which, frankly, were virtually psychic.

In his fiction novel (action-adventure) "Ice Station", one of Matthew Reilly's characters, a US representative at the UN, makes the statement that "France has been working to undermine the power of the United States for at least the last 40 years." He goes on to back up this statement with several examples that are eerily familiar today.

Taking into consideration that Reily is an Australian and the book was published in 2000, which means it was probably finished in 1998 and written over the course of the preceding several years, it really was quite prescient.

Anyone who wants specific references can email me and I'll provide them via email.
Posted by: FOTSGreg   2003-04-09 17:52:04  

#6  Make that the "Irrevelant Gang of Three."
Posted by: jc   2003-04-09 17:24:30  

#5  I have to profess my absolute amazement at the posturing going on in Europe. But then I remind myself that this is still the same old "western" Europe that is still fiercely, antagonistically nationalistic, and their stated disgust with our "imperialist" ways derives not from anything having to do with a wisdom born of age and experience, but of barely disgiused envy and the desire to wield power in just the way we as a nation refuse to. Only the freakish left could believe that France, Germany or Russia wouldn't annex Iraqi oil fields for their own gain if they were in the same position we currently occupy.

Yes, our nation has been party to some true ugliness - we are not historically spotless, not domestically, and not internationally. But in Iraq - however one wishes to prioritize our several reasons for sending our armed forces there - we have done an amazing thing in the Middle East. Though it will never happen, we should be congratulated.
Posted by: FormerLiberal   2003-04-09 17:16:03  

#4  It all has to do with the market for weapons and money. The Russians just want to sell their stuff to someone, anyone, since it is their only cash crop worth exporting, so to speak. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the market for their weapons has diminished; so have disappeared the Soviet-US cold war conflicts all over the world. The US has customers for its military products. But the Russians? French? Iraq was a big deal to them. And then there's the oil....
Posted by: RW   2003-04-09 17:12:38  

#3  Hopefully this is just French, Germans and Russians jockeying for a piece of the action and not a more concerted effort at aligning against the US. Presumably the scenes from Baghdad this morning will blunt whatever statement they are planning to make after this meeting as even these countries must pay lip service to the cause of human freedom. However, reports about Russian interference and material assistance to Iraq are disturbing. I cannot understand why they are willing to throw away a burgeoning relationship with the US for what is really a small amount of business for Russian companies. At best it appears that Russia has decided to orient itself with the EU at the expense of the US. At worst they have decided to lead a strategic bloc against us and will cause no end of mischief. I count myself as one who had become far too optimistic about US-Russia relations post 9/11.
Posted by: JAB   2003-04-09 16:59:05  

#2  Perhaps the Russians could build the UN a brand-spankin new headquarters in St. Petersburg so they can get out of NY.
Posted by: Yank   2003-04-09 16:55:11  

#1  DAMN! MY HI-LITES didn't WORK! Sorry, folks!
Posted by: Tadderly   2003-04-09 16:45:26  

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