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Pastimes : GET THE U.S. OUT of The U.N NOW! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tadsamillionaire who wrote (393)	8/29/2003 11:52:00 PM
From: Eashoa' M'sheekha	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 411

U.S. Rules Out U.N. Commanders in Iraq By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is optimistic it can attract peacekeeping troops for Iraq (news - web sites) from at least India, Pakistan and Turkey by placing the operation under the U.N. flag. As tentative drafts of a U.N. Security Council resolution were circulated Friday among administration officials, however, the State Department had yet to attract a consensus among them for expanding the U.N. role in Iraq. Nor were France, Russia or several other countries willing to go along unless the United States went beyond simply putting the operation under U.N. sponsorship. Both France and Russia have vetoes on the U.N. Security Council. Within the State Department, where Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage floated what was described as a trial balloon for a larger U.N. role Tuesday, strong opposition arose to U.N. commanders for any military operations in Iraq. A department official said some in the administration consider the United Nations (news - web sites) incapable of commanding or managing combat operations in Iraq and might even send in incompetent troops to provide a multinational look. The administration would not consider putting the operation under U.N. control, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. France is pressing for an international force. At the same time, a State Department official said, France, Russia and other European governments want greater shares of reconstructing Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion, including some of the lucrative contracts American firms have obtained. French President Jacques Chirac said Friday in Paris that the United States should transfer political power to the Iraqi people immediately. Only the United Nations, he said, "is fit to provide its legitimacy." On the Italian island of Sardinia, visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) said Friday that Russia and other Security Council members are drafting a proposed resolution to bring the United Nations strongly into Iraq's reconstruction. "We are witnessing an escalation of violence in Iraq," Putin said. "The very first task is to stop this spiral of violence, and we believe the most effective way to do this is with the real participation of the United Nations." Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi restated Italy's support for the U.S.-led war but said, "My personal desire is that the U.N. take a decision that would allow all countries of the West to make their contribution." Several administration officials stressed that while potential drafts of a Security Council resolution were being considered, there was no decision yet to submit one. That will happen, a senior official said, only if there when the Americans have a strong likelihood of council passage. The U.S. goal is to have a winning resolution ready for consideration by foreign leaders when they gather in New York in three weeks for the annual special session of the U.N. General Assembly. The aim is to provide authorization for countries such as India, Pakistan and Turkey to contribute peacekeeping troops. The governments then could ask their parliaments for approval. In all three cases U.S. officials expected were optimistic about their chances. Until now, the administration has limited the United Nations to a marginal role in Iraq. Meantime, the United States and a few allied nations handle almost all the military and reconstruction necessary to establish restore calm in the country as it makes a transition from rule by deposed President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). Currently, 138,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq, and Britain and 26 other countries have contributed about 23,000. Since May 1, when President Bush (news - web sites) announced an end to major hostilities, 144 U.S. soldiers have died. That's six more than those killed during the war that began with a March 20 U.S. invasion. James Dobbins, a former senior State Department official involved in nation-building in Afghanistan (news - web sites), Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia and Haiti, said the administration had begun a bargaining process "in which we say we are prepared to give other countries a voice in this, but we are asking how much are they going to contribute." Dobbins, who now directs Rand's international security and defense policy program, said in an interview that "no one is going to challenge that the United States is going to be the dominant contributor, the dominant voice. But it is going to be under U.N. auspices if this succeeds." story.news.yahoo.com.