U.S. Abandons Idea of Bigger U.N. Role in Iraq Occupation

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 — The Bush administration has abandoned the idea of giving the United Nations more of a role in the occupation of Iraq as sought by France, India and other countries as a condition for their participation in peacekeeping there, administration officials said today.

Instead, the officials said, the United States would widen its effort to enlist other countries to assist the occupation forces in Iraq, which are dominated by the 139,000 United States troops there.

(snip)

Administration officials said that in spite of the difficult security situation in Iraq, there was a consensus in the administration that it would be better to work with these countries than to involve the United Nations or countries that opposed the war and are now eager to exercise influence in a postwar Iraq.

(snip)

The administration's position could complicate its hopes of bringing a large number of American troops home in short order. The length of the American occupation depends on how quickly the country can be stabilized and the attacks and uprisings brought under control.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/14/international/worldspecial/14DIPL.html?hp

[mike_c]

1. we might have to share the oil....

eom

[w4rma]

2. Bush is trying to "privatize" Iraq's oil, no matter how many soldiers die,

by giving it to formerly U.S./now Cayman Islands-based oil corporations. It will be tougher for him to give the oil to his special intrests if he allows the U.N. to help us.

Also, he seems to want to install an Iraqi government who will allow these Cayman Islands-based oil companies to walk all over the Iraqis. We need to help the Iraqis set up a true democratic republic that allows the Iraqis to vote and fight by changing minds instead of assassinating whatever dictator is there. Provisions for a free-press, free-speech and a fair vote must be there and the Iraqis need to decide most of the rest. Their government needs a strong foundation with strong checks and balances to make it as hard as possible for a dictator to take control, that we help build, for them to build the rest on.

Then we need to pull out and buy some of our oil from the state-run Iraqi oil services (you can't privitize the oil, because who would you give it's ownership to? The Iraqis, but if all the Iraqis own it, then that means that it might-as-well be run by the government that they will own so that they can vote in changes to how it is run and how the revenues will help support the other public works such as water, police, fire, road building/maintanance and power).

[PurityOfEssence]

3. OUR oil, do you understand? OUR oil. We stole it fair and square

so shut up!!!!

[indictrichardperle]

6. crooks wont give up the loot

so our troops continue to be rationed 2 liters of water/day in 120 degree heat, and wont come home for years.

The next time i hear Loo-gar or some other spineless windbag yapping about "getting the UN in there or bringing in international troops", im going to puke.

What about that pompous ass Warner ? he always pretends how much he "cares about the troops" ........not a peep out of him.

[Wwagsthedog]

4. Apparently, Iraq will continue to be a Corporate Playground.........

.....for Bush/PNAC friends only. This means that corporate "logistics" for our military will leave them spinning in the web of administration dishonesty. What a mess!
:argh:

[acmavm]

5. Help, what help? We have to pay for all the "help" we get from the

coalition of the willing. Hells bells, all we're doing is putting them on the American taxpayer financed payroll. Make them wear the uniform of an American soldier, see how willing they are then (even with us footing the bill).

[short bus president]

7. This could be *'s undoing.

Reminds me of the racoon-trap principle.

[AnnabelLee]

8. Locking-Dupe

Please continue discussion here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=65293

[Philosophy]

9. Betraying their real agenda

There could be only one reason why they would think that not allowing the UN counries that did not support our invasion is a punishment - because they really perceive of the resources of Iraq as our "spoils" of the war. They are so delusional that they must truly believe that the American people are so far right that we would prefer to sacrifice the lives of our soldiers just to satisfy their own greed?