Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 — The Bush administration signaled for the first time today that it might be willing to allow a multinational force in Iraq to operate under the sponsorship of the United Nations as long it was led by an American commander.
The idea was described by the deputy secretary of state, Richard L. Armitage, as just "one idea being explored" in discussions at the United Nations. Such a plan was first described publicly last week by the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan.
Still, Mr. Armitage's remarks signified an important shift in course for the administration, which has until now insisted that all military, economic and political matters in Iraq remain under American control. By allowing the United Nations to assume more authority, the United States would be aiming to win the support of the Security Council for a new mandate authorizing the American-led occupation of Iraq.
There's a strong chance the anti-American forces won't see this as a fundamental change. There's a strong chance Iraqis won't see it as a move to benefit Iraqis.
Posted by P6 at August 27, 2003 09:16 PM | Trackback URL: http://www.prometheus6.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1450And if Bosnia is any indication, it's not worth the time.
Military activities - particularly " peacemaking " in active war zones are what the UN historically does least well. They excel at humanitarian efforts whjich is what they should stick to until an Iraqi provisional government is ready to transition to independence.
All UN sponsorship does is buy a few momentary feelgood headlines at the cost of entagling our soldiers in endless restrictions on their ability to respond to threatening situations. Naturally, the State department feels this is a good trade-off but there are no benefits to point to to promote the idea. Al Qaida and Baathists won't stop fighting just because Paul Bremer dons a blue beret or is replaced by a Swede or Bangladeshi diplomat.