U.S. drive for more troops meets opposition at UN

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21171612.htm

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell launched a fresh drive on Thursday to get more nations to send troops to Iraq but made clear the United States would not cede any control of the country.

However, the push for a new Security Council resolution that would draw more troops, police or financial assistance met with opposition from France, Russia and Germany, who said the United Nations should be given a larger role in Iraq's future and asked for a timetable to end the occupation.

"To share the burden and the responsibilities in a world of equal and sovereign nations, also means sharing information and authority," Michel Duclos, France's charge d'affairs, told the Security Council after Powell met privately Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"This political transition will have a greater chance of success if it is guided by the Iraqis themselves with the assistance not of the occupation forces but of the international community as a whole," he said.

All three nations opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and none are expected to volunteer troops for Iraq, regardless of the resolution's wording.

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[Spazito]

1. It doesn't surprise me but I'm glad...

to see it being reported that way. The UN members aren't dumb nor or they very partial to the US at this time, gee I wonder why!

Until Bush and his cabal cede authority, they and Blair are in in all alone.

[Mari333]

2. Our soldiers are F*CKED

.

[lindashaw]

4. What goes around, comes around...

[PartyPooper]

9. Our country is F*CKED!

Unless, of course, we can remove Bu$h from power next year! In any case, it will take many, many years to restore America's reputation of peace, humility, civility, and true freedom...whilst garnering the cooperation and respect from the rest of the world.

Sadly, it may not even happen in our lifetime.

:-(

[Maple]

3. Then why should the UN

vote to help?

Out of their deep love for the US?

[lumpy]

5. Bushco doesn't like to play by UN rules.

So go it alone Bushco, you brought it on.

[NNN0LHI]

7. It is becoming obvious that they won't help n/t

[markses]

6. Of course, their positions are reasonable

One wonders why, if we're simply after the liberation of the Iraqi people, the US should insist on absolute authority, or should insist on maintaining its status as occupying power? No matter how much they yap about "Isn't it better w/o Hussein?" the conservatives cannot answer this question with any degree of coherence.

The UN cannot put itself below the US occupying power in a general hierarchy. To do so would be to lose all sense of neutrality and become, de facto if not de jure, subordinate to one of its member states. That is, of course, absurd, and contrary to its purpose and mission.

The strange operation then, or the one that requires explanation (for some, anyway) is the insistence emanating from Crawford that the US maintain its decision-making authority over the UN. It is an impossible situation if nobody budges. Bush should immediately disband the so-called "Coalition Provisional Authority" (as one writer put it, with no small nod to the old "Holy Roman Empire" joke, it's NOT a coalition, it's NOT provisional, nor does it provide anything, and it has NO authority!), or set up a transition time table on the order of 60 days for a shift to a provisional UN governing body, which will then set a 90 day timetable for elections. The current governing council - a laughable puppet body - must be disbanded immediately, though its members should be eligible to run for office. No contracts signed under either the CPA or other direction of the current occupying powers is a conscionable contract, so those should be voided immediately as well, or vetted by an independent UN body with direct input from Iraqis.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Your idea will never happen. It makes too much sense n/t

[yellowcanine]

10. Not to worry

We have those 200 or so troops from 5 Central American countries serving as peacekeepers under Polish command. Se habla espanol?
Who says we don't have coalition partners?

[LeftistGorilla]

11. America has made it's bed...

and now it must sleep...
nite nite...
:evilfrown: