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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Keith Feral who wrote (149475)	10/27/2004 9:50:38 PM
From: Michael Watkins	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Thanks for the insightful response. To answer your question, it makes me disgusted that Russia and France blocked UN involvement in Iraq for purely economic reasons, namely, food for oil contracts. Certainly they blocked the resolution which robbed the US of international legitimacy. I won't argue that they were not motivated by their own economic self-interest, surely that was a component of their decision. A majority of Security Council members at the time would not accept the US demand for "automatic escalation" to war, fearing that war would be the inevitable outcome. It was in the air - everyone knew that Bush wanted to take the country to war. For: United States, Britain and non permanent member Spain Against / opposed / wanting more time: France, Russia, China and non permanent members Germany and Syria, Mexico for sure. I don't recall the status of Chile, Pakistan, Cameroon, Angola and Guinea. Some didn't say - due to the veto to be used by France and Russia, they never need to. I remember Mexico's President Fox being very vocal against the war, as were a number of other non security council members including Canada. Not all of these countries had trade relationships (legal or otherwise) with Iraq (or with France for that matter) - given that there truly was not overwhelming international support for Iraq I don't think its fair to characterize the refusal of "authority" to the US by France or any country as simply part of an oil grab. I wish Bush had used the power and might of the US to see the containment / UN processes farther down the road, but I don't think that was ever his intended plan or outcome. Regarding the Oil for Food scandal, I'm perfectly willing to let former Federal Reserve chairman Volcker sort it out. It will be interesting and maybe even entertaining. I'm very much a law and order guy - book 'em Danno!