UN fears Iraq anarchy as Bush calls for 'backbone' on Saddam:
Is war now inevitable?
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Ed Vulliamy in Washington and Kamal Ahmed in London
Sunday September 15, 2002
The Observer
The United Nations fears that Iraq will become ungovernable if
Saddam Hussein is deposed by military force because the
United States will fail to make a long-term commitment to the
country.
As President George W. Bush called on the UN to 'show some
backbone' over Iraq, senior UN figures spoken to by The
Observer said that there was no 'Afghanistan solution' to the
problems of the country because it was not clear who would
take over the leadership if the dictator is removed.
Revealing a significant stumbling block as the UN continued to
inch towards signing new resolutions, officials said the country
could be destroyed by political in-fighting, putting the whole
Middle East region at risk.
'The Americans haven't done enough in Afghanistan and if that is
the model of how they are going about Iraq then there are
serious concerns,' one well-placed official said.
'Every aspect of the experience in Afghanistan suggests that the
Americans show very little or no interest in this. There's this view
that you go in, execute the bad guys, and leave the place even if
it is in a mess. I am not at all convinced the Americans have
worked this out.'
Coalition forces that attacked Afghanistan made it clear that any
post-Taliban government would coalesce around Hamid Karzai
and representatives of the various ethnic groups which make up
the country. Tony Blair also said that there would be a long-term
commitment to rebuilding the failed state.
The UN is increasingly concerned that no such plan exists for
Iraq.
In his weekly radio address, Bush reiterated his appeal for tough
action against Saddam. He challenged the US Congress and
the UN to take a forceful stand, saying the 'lives of millions and
the peace of the world' may be at stake.
'Make no mistake about it. If we have to deal with the problem,
we'll deal with it,' he said.
Bush said his call for action was gaining ground one day after
Iraq flatly rejected US demands for a swift and unconditional
return of UN arms inspectors.
It appears that weekend discussions between the five permanent
members of the security council - the US, Britain, France,
Russia and China - have brought the prospect of a new
resolution giving Saddam a deadline for allowing in weapons
inspectors closer. A new resolution could be agreed as early as
next week, with a follow-up resolution opening the way to
military action should Saddam not comply.
Within the European Union, often seen as cautious over military
action, opinion also appeared to be moving. The US President is
likely to be able count on the support of the Italian Prime
Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, whom he met at Camp David
yesterday. Italy's support will stand alongside Spain and Britain,
with France moving towards agreement.
Only Germany of the large EU states still stands implacably
opposed to military action.
'We must stand up for our security and for the demands of
human dignity,' Bush said. 'By heritage and choice, the United
States will make that stand. The world community must do so
as well.'
The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said that the UN would be
undermined if it does not act.
In a speech to the UN General Assembly last night, Straw said:
'We cannot let the United Nations' unique authority, leading the
international community, be undermined by those who have no
respect for it.
'All of us who believe in the United Nations have to make our
minds up now about how to deal with Iraq. The authority of the
United Nations itself is at stake.'
Shashi Tharoor, a senior aide to UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan, said that the UN and US positions were closer than it
appeared on the surface.
'If you read that [Bush's speech last week to the UN] in
conjunction with what Kofi Annan said you will see a greater
degree of co-operation than one reads about in the press,' he
said.
Both Bush and Annan said that they wanted to see a
'multilateral' response to the Iraq issue if possible.
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