US Sees Significant Role For UN in Iraq Transition

[leftchick]

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=444745§ion=news

<snip>
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - The United States believes the United Nations can help supervise the political transition in Iraq and talk to majority Shi'ites demanding early elections, a senior U.S. official says.

"What we are interested in is having them (the United Nations) be an adviser, help oversee this process of setting up the transitional government for Iraqis (and) be an interlocutor for the Shi'ite community," he told reporters.

"That's a pretty significant role," said the official in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is attending the World Economic Forum.

After scorning the United Nations for its failure to back the war on Iraq, Washington has now asked U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to send a team to Iraq to determine whether early elections are feasible, hoping this will end the controversy.

[kskiska]

1. My, my, how times have changed

Now they're deigning to give the UN a "significant" role. Wasn't long ago when didn't want the irrelevant UN involved at all, or for any other country to share in the booty.

[Lorien]

2. Didn't * just say he didn't need a "permission

slip" from anyone to invade another country? Now they're asking for UN involvement?! Hey, I think the more the UN is involved the better (The BushCo plan is probably to get them just involved enough to take our troops away and invade Syria), but BushCo is undoubtably the least competant administration in history when it comes to international negotiations. What a train wreck!

[leftchick]

3. Has anyone ventured to freeperland to see how this sits with them?!?

I can't bring myself to go there.....

[Maeve]

4. Translation--we want them to do the scut work

So we can get on with the next invasion!

[legin]

5. This is a piss-take

I've seen somebody big possibly bush* or Perle explain how the UN does have some uses. The UN are supposed to useful for dealing with that frightening dull bureaucratic constitution writting stuff and all those interminably boring long drawn out diplomatic meetings.

The real man stuff is what the u.s. does best.

You can almost hear the patronising tone in "That's a pretty significant role," said the official.

The UN are about to be used if they get involved in this.

[teryang]

6. They are whining a different tune now

...aren't they? Hundreds of dead soldiers, thousands of wounded, no end in sight. They're praying it isn't a thousand dead by Nov.