Kerry Says U.S. Must 'De-Americanize' Iraq Policy

Reuters ^ | 4.12.04 | Patricia Wilson

[BlessedByLiberty]

DURHAM, N.H. (Reuters) - Democratic challenger John Kerry said on Monday Washington needed to "de-Americanize" the transformation of Iraq by replacing U.S. administrator Paul Bremer with someone like top U.N. aide Lakhdar Brahimi.

Laying out an alternative to what he called President Bush's failed diplomacy, Kerry said: "If I were president today, right now today, I would be going very directly to the United Nations and I would summon the world to an effort that I think the world has a stake in."

Republicans have criticized Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, for failing to tell Americans what he would do differently in Iraq.

The Massachusetts senator, who is walking a fine political line between supporting U.S. troops and criticizing Bush's conduct of the war and its aftermath, has tried to focus on his economic agenda on the campaign trail.

But he has been repeatedly sidetracked by questions about the mounting casualties and bloodshed in Iraq, which have dominated U.S. television and newspapers.

In some of his most detailed remarks on Iraq, Kerry told students at the University of New Hampshire he would be prepared to turn over authority for the political transformation of Iraq, and its reconstruction, to the United Nations.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Unsure of Reuters need for their excerpting policy. He wants to replace Bremer with a UN aide!

Guess he wants to make certain all troops have white flags at the ready.

[Dr. Frank fan]

The UN was there in Iraq. They left. Why do (D)s still believe in this fantasy-land solution of having the UN in Iraq?

They left!

[Fixit]

Well, this clinches it, Kerry is unamerican.

[jocko12]

Kerry is so full of it his eyes are turning brown.

[binger]

[cupcakes]

Perhaps we can de-Americanize the funding of this then too. I'm sure Kerry isn't advocating for that though. We'll be funding the UN instead of our own men in uniform so eventually we'll be funding the establishment of another dictator sooner rather than later if the UN gets their hands on this. And we won't see a red cent from anything Iraq reeps from their freedom to boot, but I'm sure the new dictator and the UN pockets will be lined for our efforts thanks to John F'en Kerry.

[Smartass]

[goldstategop]

John F. Seinfeld's foreign policy is to outsource it to Kofi Annan!

[NonValueAdded]

Doesn't John Effin Kerry remember that the UN cut and ran from Iraq the first time someone said "boo" to them?

[cardinal4]

Laying out an alternative to what he called President Bush's failed diplomacy, Kerry said: "If I were president today, right now today, I would be going very directly to the United Nations and I would summon the world to an effort that I think the world has a stake in."

The same UN whose refusal to enforce its own resolutions, causing the whole war in the first place? Words fail me..

[gitmo]

Kerry Says UN Must 'Frenchize' Iraq Policy

[Max7]

Oh, Mr. Kerry. Put a sock in it......

[PRND21]

Famous last words...hopefully.

[muleskinner]

All that's missing is a piece of cheese.

[gitmo]

Doesn't John Effin Kerry remember that the UN cut and ran from Iraq the first time someone said "boo" to them?

But don't forget the UN's resounding success in the Somalia campaign.

[Jinjelsnaps]

"If I were president today, right now today..."

As opposed to "four weeks ago today?"

What a looooooooooser...

[malia]

"The UN was there in Iraq. They left."

They ran away.

[mystery-ak]

How many US soldiers will be killed over this statement.....STFU!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Kerry has so little faith in American values and strength---the possibility of him sitting in the Oval Office truly frightens me.

[monkeywrench]

Yes, the same un that siphoned needed food and medicine money for the iraqui people into their own coffers, thereby increasing their misery and blaming it on US sanctions.