France shows new flexibility in search of compromise on Iraq

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/us_iraq_france

15 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - France displayed new flexibility here as its US envoy expressed readiness to accept an initial "symbolic" transfer of power to Iraqi representatives as part of a broad compromise aimed at restoring Iraq (news - web sites)'s sovereignty.


US officials, for their part, said they were "prepared to work" on their differences with members of the UN Security Council and did not rule out introducing a revised draft UN resolution on Iraq that would encompass suggestions from foreign partners.


But US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) made clear the administration of President George W. Bush (news - web sites) remained opposed to a quick handover of power to the Iraqi Governing Council.


"It's not logical that at this early stage we would try prematurely to turn over to the Iraqi sovereignty when they're not yet capable of exercising it," she told Fox News.

In an interview with PBS television's "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Levitte said that Paris would favor "first a symbolic transfer of sovereignty."

[jacksonian]

1. get ready

this is Bush's exit strategy. The UN is going to take over some nominal control, Chimpy will proclaim the world is behind him and committed to democracy in Iraq, and France will go along - "it's all OK now, folks, nothing to see here."

Next summer all we'll be hearing is how it was a hard road but now Iraq is a great place due to the sacrifices of our leaders. Cooking the books is how this administration works.

Bad week for us. The Texas senate, and anyone who thinks postponing Calif. is a Dem victory believes all trends will just continue unchanged. Looked like Davis was going to win, now they have months to reorganize and one small notion of a scandal can change everything.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. Sounds like you believe Rummy all the way

[jacksonian]

5. I can't let that go

Yes I have total unfaltering belief in Rummy - that he is a crackpot, egotistical, tinhorn dictator wannabe amd always has been.

It's just that if you're looking for a strong spine to stand up to Bush&company, the UN ain't it.

[mac56]

2. Let's wait and see what Russia and China have to say.

nm

[jacksonian]

3. Russia and China

don't matter. Nobody is going to block an attempt to stabilize Iraq and take the heat if (when) it gets worse - all paths to stability go through Washington (since they're the one who made it unstable in the first place) and nobody's going to stand up to that.

Bush will get his deal.

[aneerkoinos]

6. Au contraire

China has kept relatively quiet but it would be mistake to underestimate it. I think China might be more than happy not to let US out of the hook. China just showed that it can take over WTO, it can use North Korea to put pressure on US, it owns absurd amounts of US debt, it's got the upper hand and it does not like US imperialist policy a bit.

[jacksonian]

9. i never underestimate the Chinese

but toe-to-toe is not how they do things diplomatically. The UN is either going to take a role, and give Bush some cover, or be blamed by Bush for fiddling while Iraq burns. China may have an interest in this, no doubt will have their hands in some agreement, but in the end they won't risk, or even threaten, a slap-in-the-face veto or even geo-political footdragging. Too many other irons in the fire.

Nobody wants to give up the mucho resources it will take to rebuild Iraq, political cover is all the UN can offer. Nobody but the US has the resources to do the rebuilding (and we really don't, either), so there's no other "solution" in sight. After much posturing and I-told-you-so's for the benefit of the home folks, they will sign on (noble speechs of world peace all around) and Bush can rape Iraq with a UN mandate.

Or, if he can't get the deal he wants, he'll use his own I-told-you-so's against people here who said that the UN was the best path in the first place. He'll pull out everything except for oil production and blame the chaos on a callous world that just doesn't see the dangers of terrorism. He'll probably do this even if he gets an agreement. Like I said, it's his exit strategy.

[Neutrino]

7. Well that should keep criminal Chalabi out of jail for a while--

I can't believe that scumbag was a "pick" by this Administration.
His background is nothing but Theft and Fraud, for which he
was convicted, and from which he fled. go figure.

[StandWatie]

8. eh, why not..

The French will probably making deals directly with the Iraqi's in a few years anyway and leveraging us for concessions to sell to us after we get booted out.