Bush Seeks Help of Allies Barred From Iraq Deals (Pentagon blew it)

New York Times ^ | Dec. 11, 2003 | By DAVID E. SANGER and DOUGLAS JEHL

[RDangerfield]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 — President Bush found himself in the awkward position on Wednesday of calling the leaders of France, Germany and Russia to ask them to forgive Iraq's debts, just a day after the Pentagon excluded those countries and others from $18 billion in American-financed Iraqi reconstruction projects.
      White House officials were fuming about the timing and the tone of the Pentagon's directive, even while conceding that they had approved the Pentagon policy of limiting contracts to 63 countries that have given the United States political or military aid in Iraq
      Many countries excluded from the list, including close allies like Canada, reacted angrily on Wednesday to the Pentagon action. They were incensed, in part, by the Pentagon's explanation in a memorandum that the restrictions were required "for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States."
      The Russian defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, when asked about the Pentagon decision, responded by ruling out any debt write-off for Iraq.
      The Canadian deputy prime minister, John Manley, suggested crisply that "it would be difficult" to add to the $190 million already given for reconstruction in Iraq.
      White House officials said Mr. Bush and his aides had been surprised by both the timing and the blunt wording of the Pentagon's declaration. But they said the White House had signed off on the policy, after a committee of deputies from a number of departments and the National Security Council agreed that the most lucrative contracts must be reserved for political or military supporters.
      Those officials apparently did not realize that the memorandum, signed by Paul D. Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, would appear on a Defense Department Web site hours before Mr. Bush was scheduled to ask world leaders to receive James A. Baker III, the former treasury secretary and secretary of state, who is heading up the effort to wipe out Iraq's debt. Mr. Baker met with the president on Wednesday.
      Several of Mr. Bush's aides said they feared that the memorandum would undercut White House efforts to repair relations with allies who had opposed the invasion of Iraq.
      White House officials declined to say how Mr. Bush explained the Pentagon policy to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany. France and Russia were two of the largest creditors of Saddam Hussein's government. But officials hinted, by the end of the day, that Mr. Baker might be able to show flexibility to countries that write down Iraqi debt.
      "I can't imagine that if you are asking to do stuff for Iraq that this is going to help," a senior State Department official said late Wednesday.
      A senior administration official described Mr. Bush as "distinctly unhappy" about dealing with foreign leaders who had just learned of their exclusion from the contracts.
      Under the Pentagon rules, only companies whose countries are on the American list of "coalition nations" are eligible to compete for the prime contracts, though they could act as subcontractors. The result is that the Solomon Islands, Uganda and Samoa may compete for the contracts, but China, whose premier just left the White House with promises of an expanded trade relationship, is excluded, along with Israel.
      Several of Mr. Bush's aides wondered why the administration had not simply adopted a policy of giving preference to prime contracts to members of the coalition, without barring any countries outright
      "What we did was toss away our leverage," one senior American diplomat said. "We could have put together a policy that said, `The more you help, the more contracts you may be able to gain.' " Instead, the official said, "we found a new way to alienate them
      A senior official at the State Department was asked during an internal meeting on Wednesday how he expected the move to affect the responses of Russia, France and Germany to the American request. He responded, "Go ask Jim Baker," according another senior official, who said of Mr. Baker, "He's the one who's going to be carrying the water, and he's going to be the one who finds out."
[story excerpted, follow link for the complete story]

[RDangerfield]

Talk about the left hand having no idea what the right hand is doing. Is this any way to run a railroad? Can you imagine how pissed James Baker is, a day after being assigned to beg foreign leaders to forgive Iraq's debt, the same leaders whose countries are now being barred? What do you think his chances of success are going to be?

[DeuceTraveler]

Whatever. This wasn't a mistake, since this administration is too well disciplined for such mistakes. Now France, Germany, and others can decide to get back on our good side by forgiving the debts and other things that we want or we'll find other ways to nail them economically.

[ppaul]

[Da Mav]

What is this "Pentagon Blew It" nonsense?

This was no mistake. This is a direct message to the wallets of our sunshine friends that there will be consequences to their anti-American actions.

The liberals, especially former Clinton Admin officials who would never have had the huevos to pull this off, are lining up and wringing their hands AGAIN lest we offend France or some such nonsense. As if France and Germany were ready to write off billions in debt if only we had kissed their butts. As if France and Germany had something to offer in Iraq anyway.

Stick it to 'em President Bush. Maybe the next round they will figure out which side the bread is buttered on. Mistake my red rosy azz.

[Prodigal Son]

All the sources I see referenced are State Dep't. Their standard MO is to take the other guy's side. By their very nature they view the world in diplomatic (read: butt-kissing) terms.

[Da Mav]

And an anonymous "Senior" official says Bush is upset. The NYT always finds one of these to try and legimitize its smear attempts.

I still don't understand how "Pentagon Blew It" belongs in the title here. I'd expect to read that on BartCop.

[weegee]

Send Mr. U2 Bono over there. That's what his "job" is right? Convincing governments to forgive nations' debts?

Or is the United States the only one stupid enough to fall for that?

[weegee]

Which of Iraq's "debts" are we talking about anyway? There has been a change of government (total regime change). Haven't these countries heard?

Serves them right for financially supporting a dictator. Write that off as a loss or seek where Saddam is hiding (he took loot with him) and collect it there.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I don't even know why this is news. Many of us here posted that the axis of weasels were going to be left out of the rebuilding "feast" before the war even started. Where's the surprise?

[Da Mav]

ah hah hah weegee, good one!

[Da Mav]

I agree, I would have been disappointed at anything less. Imagine putting the Canadians in charge of some major rebuilding project after they blew us off. And I suspect some Iraqis would be pretty dang upset if Chirac sent the same contractors out that were helping prop up Saddam before the war.

The whole premise that this is a mistake is absurd.

Let's hope the Democrats launch a "Be Fair to France" campaign.

[witnesstothefall]

(Pentagon Blew It)

Sounds like you're interjecting your own bias into the headline of an article.

The donor conference in Spain is long over, and our erstwhile allies made it clear then they would not be participating in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Debt forgiveness has been asked-and-answered for months as well, answered in the negative if you weren't paying attention.

Last week the Japanese announced they would not be using the EU's new super jumbo jet anytime soon, a loss to the EU of 100's of billions that presumably will be collected by American aircraft manufacturers.

This week the Japanese finally voted affirmatively to send combat-ready troops to Iraq, in addition to the billions they've committed to reconstruction. Within 24 hrs of the news of that vote, the Pentagon issued its blacklist.

One must learn to read between the lines, and realize that public news of this sort represents only the portions of their negotiations the leaders actually want or need made public, occasional leaks notwithstanding.

Be assured that the heavy industries of Japan, S Korea, Australia, Spain, Poland and Italy will more than suffice to provide a healthy competition for those rich American/Iraqi reconstruction contracts.

[Broadside Joe]

Nobody blew it. If anything they are playing good cop bad cop! And the best part is that it worked. The so-called allies are once again on notice that their treachery has not gone unnoticed. We're talking about GWB, not some sniveling leftist puke.

[Jumper]

No mistake. International law and precidence take place.

Odious Law: "If a despotic power incurs a debt not for the needs or in the interest of the State, but to strengthen its despotic regime, to repress the population that fights against it, etc., this debt is odious for the population of all the State.

- Alexander Sack, 1927

The French try to side step Odious Law by using the arguement that Iraq is U.S.-occupied land and therefore is not a sovereign country. This weak arguement will not long last, but will serve to show French diplomatic support thier allies, e.g., the former Iraqi Regime of Saddam H.

Iraq's debt has become a politicised issue and a means for countries like Germany and France which opposed the war to try to influence the reconstruction and political future of Iraq. On this POINT, France and Germany do lose and Bush WINS!

[faithincowboys]

I suspect we have the same situation as always-- a Fifth Column Leftist in the Pentagon releasing sensitive materials to make victory more difficult.

[Stultis]

[story excerpted

Why? It's not required for the Slimes.

[Print]

Actually it was US that went to clean up Europe's mess (WWII).

[jaykay]

Those countries who loaned money to Saddam's regime can collect it from him. The Iraqi's are not responsible for the debts of their former oppressors.

[Psalm 73]

Hey, all of those countries owe us a TON of money - most of which we have written off.
Frankly, I don't really see how the cut-off in contracts and debt forgiveness are actually related - it's two totally different things.
If France, etc. cannot be adult about it - well, they need us a lot more than we need them.......

[Psalm 73]

Hey, all of those countries owe us a TON of money - most of which we have written off.
Frankly, I don't really see how the cut-off in contracts and debt forgiveness are actually related - it's two totally different things, (if not, then it is extortion on their part).
If France, etc. cannot be adult about it - well, they need us a lot more than we need them.......