WP: Europe Has Encouraging Words (but little aid) for Iraq

[DeepModem Mom]

Europe Has Encouraging Words for Iraq
Few Concrete Offers of Aid for Fledgling Government Materialize at Brussels Conference

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 22, 2005; 7:50 AM


BRUSSELS, June 22 -- The fledgling government of Iraq won a rhetorical show of support -- but few concrete offers of help -- at an international conference Wednesday attended by diplomats from more than 80 nations and international organizations.

The conclave underscored the tremendous challenges faced by the Iraqi government as it seeks to write a constitution, strengthen its economy and battle an insurgency that kills scores of people every week. The conference, sponsored by the United States and the European Union, was designed to bolster the Shiite Muslim-dominated Iraqi government, which has tense relations with its mostly Sunni neighbors and has received only a fraction of $13 billion in aid pledged at another conference nearly two years ago.

The conference was also intended to show that the trans-Atlantic rift over the war has largely dissipated and that Europe also has a stake in the successful reconstruction of the country. "A democratic process is taking place that is vital for us, whether you were against the war or not," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said.

However, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, called for a "truly central role" for the United Nations in Iraq, citing "the legitimacy which this body embodies, its impartiality and its expertise."

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari told the assembled diplomats that "we want to achieve economic and political independence and raise the competence of our security forces without turning into a security state." He said that Iraqis want the presence of U.S.-led forces "to be provisional."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/22/AR2005062200431.html

[barb162]

1. what about China, Japan?

[justinsb]

2. What do you expect?

Most of the European countries practically begged the US not to start this in the first place and the war in Iraq is less popular every day in (as far as I know) every country on the planet. It would be political suicide for any European leaders to get involved at this point.

[Spazito]

3. Real help won't materialize until the US is out

Why would any country help financially when we all know the dollars go to the US contractors and would give the US cover for it's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq?

[strizi64]

4. that's what we want

However, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, called for a "truly central role" for the United Nations in Iraq, citing "the legitimacy which this body embodies, its impartiality and its expertise."

nothing will be done until UN takes over, just talking but nothing else, not a single $$$.......

striz

[bennywhale]

5. US =" we're gonna blow this country to bits" EU = " no don't thats a

bad idea"

US = "Well we're gonna, so fuck you, you pansy assed suuuuurrrruuuunnnnddeeering European (had tens of millions killed by war in one century) pussies."

WAR

EU = "you prick"

US = "we're kinda outta money so could you give us some money to fix the stuff we broke"