If France, Germany, Russia and China had said to George wait 6 more months, and we will foot the ENTIRE bill for all the coalition soldiers sitting on the Iraqi borders in the middle of summer, I'll bet George might have waited! In other words, if they were at all involved, rather than the sideline sitting SPOILERS that they were, they might deserve more attention.
I think they did ask for more time. I think the human tragedy trumps any talk of footing bills...so I attach very little importance to the money aspects. Further, you make action/inaction sound somewhat like a prize in a contest about who gets to hell with the rights to the hottest spot by the fire. If they were as clever and inactive as you claim they were, Bush gave them the perfect reason to sit out and plaid perfectly into their hands. We inherited a hellish mess in Iraq, subsequently discovered to be an avoidable mess. Who is that fool by the fire?
THAT is where the UN has failed, the UN's lack of participation made the current action look like an American action rather than a worldwide action.
I suspect you have followed the sequence of events, from the run up to now? Why do you oversimplify so then? These were countries that counseled strongly for more time, they were rudely rebuked, and bush was uncompromising, even when it came time to re-unify them, bush gave in to the macho BS of 2002/2003 (remember the old europe remark), excluded them from the reconstruction, and refused to give them any say in the political process. Would you put american troops at the behest of one of these nations with little say in how they'd be used? The "coalition" has been shrinking ever since.
And Saddam had 12 years to voluntarily disarm, and he did not do so to the satisfaction of the UN's own people
Really? You have read the Dalfour report?
It's the UN's job to promote understanding between countries and world peace, not thumb its nose and get upset when the US acts against UN wishes. The UN could be in Iraq now helping rebuild the country. It is barely involved.
The UN is as strong and orderly as the degree to which its members are willing to abide by its rules. I'd like to hear your thoughts if France had been acting unilaterally against the wishes of the security council.
Al |
