Ignoring Sen. Richard Lugar’s call this past Sunday for a greater UN role in Iraq, the Bush administration has decided not to pursue one.
The Bush administration has been reluctant to give the United Nations more than minimal authority in the reconstruction of Iraq. Many administration members say that France, Germany, Russia and other countries demanding such a role are actually doing so to try to get more contracts and economic benefits for themselves.
The desire for more United Nations involvement by many countries echoes the debate that preceded the war. Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others were openly disdainful of getting United Nations authorization for the war, even after Mr. Bush had sided with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to pursue that route.
Mr. Rumsfeld, according to administration officials, vehemently opposes any dilution of military authority over Iraq by involving the United Nations, either through United Nations peacekeepers or indirectly in any United Nations authorization of forces from other countries.
American military officials say they fear that involving the United Nations, even indirectly, will hamper the latitude the United States must have in overseeing Iraqi security and pursuing anti-American guerrilla forces or terrorist actions.
Someone should inform Slate’s William Saletan and Avi Zenilman of this position as they clearly glossed over it when putting together this loving ‘worldview‘ of George W. Bush for their candidate’s review.
Under Nation Building;
Bush remains averse to committing many U.S. troops to policing and nation-building. In Afghanistan, the major troop presence is limited to Kabul; Afghan tribal leaders police the other regions. In Iraq, the U.S. military presence reportedly will not be increased.
Yet Bush in a radio address… 100 days after he declared major combat operations over in Iraq, promised a “long-term undertaking” to bring democracy and economic prosperity to Iraq and across the Middle East.
If that isn’t ‘nation building’ what is it.
Veterans were being recalled before Saletan’s review was published. You could make the argument that if the troops are rotating that doesn’t denote an increase, but tell that to a 36-year old being sent to Iraq for a year.
According to this article the Army is pushing dangerously close to its limits.
And what will happen if these bad boys get a head of steam? As it is, oil production may be ‘grinding to a halt’.
Afghanistan is calling for peacekeeping expansion.
Will this be the end of the draft resolution Russia has been circulating and suggested may come up for a vote this week?
Lugar at least appears very concerned about the human toll and financial burden of this occupation. Not only did he once again appeal to the administration to come up with a 5-year budget, he again criticised the faulty post-occupation planning and blamed it for the problems we’re seeing there now.
Lugar keeps making good points the administration ignores.
A major step the administration needs to take is to come up with a five-year budget for the reconstruction of Iraq and include sources of the money, he said.
“It could come from other countries,” he said. “We must be vigorous in trying to get that and a U.N. resolution to give us more legitimacy” as the lead occupying power.
“It is regrettable that some countries still believe that this is our mission entirely,” Lugar said. “And the U.N. legitimacy and the reaching-out to these other countries is of the essence, not only in the short term but in the intermediate term.”
The administration should be listening. The Iraqi exiles recruited to aid in reconstruction are threatening to walk out as they perceive their role to be less than equal in the effort. If the Bushies aren’t concerned what other countries think of them, and they haven’t to date, at the very least they should be listening to the dissent of the Iraqi people they claim to be helping.
Jimmy Breslin has a very good piece on the illusion of a short occupation if you missed it.