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Iraq
Russia casts doubts on transition-of-power plan
2003-11-18
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that the new agreement between the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S.-led coalition to establish a provisional government before a permanent constitution is approved "raises a series of questions" about whether it can be implemented. Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko, in a statement on the ministry’s Web site, said the agreement would be put into practice "without broadening the social basis" for resolving the situation in Iraq and "without consideration for the opinion of the international community." Such an approach, he said, is "fraught with danger that this agreement will not have the necessary legitimacy either within [Iraq] or from the point of view of international law."
"It just ain't gonna work until we say it'll work."
Yakovenko pointed out in particular the lack of any statement in the agreement about a role for the United Nations. Russia, he said, believes that without involvement by the United Nations "it will [be] difficult to win the real trust of the Iraqi people or to receive full international recognition."
See Omar's post for his heartfelt confirmation of that...
The council announced the plan Saturday to establish a provisional government, with full sovereign powers, by the end of June. Iraqis would write a constitution and elect a democratic government by the end of 2005, said Ahmed Chalabi, a council member. U.S. civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer said the United States would have preferred the country have a permanent constitution before the coalition relinquished power, but an impasse over the constitution dictated otherwise.
Posted by:Rafael

#7  Please inform the Russian Foreign Ministry personnel responsible for this that in order for us to listen to their complaints, they must produce their complaints in octuplicate, on the inner tissue of a Siberian miniature white squid, written in purple ink, in classic Sanscrit, and delivered by kayak to our Washington address, no later than next Thursday. Errors, erasures, strike-throughs, or ink blots are not acceptable, and all copies must be notarized by the Ummiate of Tashkent on the first Sunday in a month spelled without an "R". Thank you and have a nice day...
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-11-18 3:04:18 PM  

#6  Didn't the Russian's warn us about how we'd have a long slog dislodging the Taliban. And I think they warned us about the tough Iraqi military as well. Seems like the Russians are predicting doom and gloom because their failure to end the Chechnya conflict after nearly a decade makes them look puny and weak.
Posted by: Yank   2003-11-18 2:50:39 PM  

#5  I heard Joska on NPR? this morning. He's a smooth talker. The tone reminded me of a divorced person trying to convince someone (and themself) about how good their relationship is with the ex. Stuff like; We have or differences, but our relationship is too important not to move forward...blah, blah blah.

Let's just say he sucessfully managed to let the listeners know that it was only through his sheer force of will and diplomatic panache that he managed to rise above this unfortunate spat with the dirty, stinky Americans. At one point, when asked, " have the differences over Iraq caused Euroweenies to think Americans are even dirtier and smellier than they thought they were before "(or something like that..my interpretation), Joshka gave this big HUGE looong sad sigh...and then paused some more as if to say, "I'd like to agree with you, but I'm pausing for a very long time to let you know that, for diplomatic reasons, I'll just have to hold my tounge".

All in all, I laughed at the end. To make an even better analogy, it reminded me of a teenager, who thinks his mother is really stupid..but is saying the words she wants to hear so he can have the car tonight.
Posted by: B   2003-11-18 1:35:07 PM  

#4  That's rich, former communists lecturing us on democracy...
Posted by: Raj   2003-11-18 12:52:12 PM  

#3  Joska Fischer is a f*cking terrorist who should be in prison.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-11-18 11:54:58 AM  

#2  Joska Fischer says its a positive step - more distance between Germany on the one hand, and France and Russia on the other?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-11-18 9:20:30 AM  

#1  And nothing in the agreement said how we were going to collect all the money that Saddam owed us. So, it just won't work!
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2003-11-18 8:32:49 AM  

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