Bottom line: there's about nothing to "rebuild" in Iraq, but you won't blurt it, will you?
Sure there is. Iraq, prior to Saddam's rise to power, used to have a per capita GDP of 12,000 per person.. Under Saddam if fell to less than 2,000 per person, and probably hovers around the same amount. There are also decades worth of infrastructure repair that is needed due to UN economic sanctions.
And yes, since the UN was the organization that issued 17 binding resolutions against Iraq, threatening to reinitiate UNSC 678 (via 1441) and using all necessary means to resolve Iraq's material breach, they bear a responsibility in providing peace-keeping forces to the nation.
There is also the obvious political turmoil within the country where the UN needs to be stepping up to the plate.. It's absolutely inexcusable for Kofi Annan to have spent the past 6 months trying to wash his hands of any obligation to Iraq's political and economic reconstitution.
But if you slackers in Europe can't step up to the plate and meet your obligations within the mid-east, then I guess you'll have to bear the consequences of being economically isolated from any economic benefits that might arrive in future years. But the UN is not just made up of European states. It's supposed to represent a large number of member states, many of whom supported and have personnel involved in Iraq.
But in the end, it may not matter... The current UN leadership has shown itself to lack courage, or to pursue the most cowardly of courses in accepting it's responsibilities under the UN charter. Were they to take over in Iraq now, the militants and Baathist resistance would probably target them even more since they would be seen as vulnerable.
Bottom line, the UN is STILL a paper tiger and lacks a political spine.
Hawk |
