Posted on 07/06/2005 1:27:57 PM PDT by phoenix_004
British Prime Minister Tony Blair may want to change the subject from the divisive issue of Iraq, but U.S. President George W. Bush and other G-8 leaders can't seem to get enough.
Sir Michael Jay, Britain's chief G-8 negotiator, said Monday that he expected Iraq to be discussed as well as North Korea, because the leaders ``are going to talk about what is on their mind.''
Philip Gordon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, told a briefing last week that Blair's Africa and environment agenda was ``a chance for him to change the subject because the subject in Britain in particular has been his unpopularity and Iraq and his closeness with George W. Bush.''
Blair's popularity has been badly dented because he stood with Bush on the Iraq war.
During a press conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, en route to Gleneagles for the summit, Bush strongly defended his decision to go in to Iraq, and thanked Denmark for contributing more than 500 troops to the coalition.
White House officials have made it clear Bush intends to give his G-8 partners an accounting of the course of stabilization.
G-8 members Russia, France and Germany sharply opposed the invasion of Iraq.
A Kremlin official said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would push the Group of Eight to work toward giving the United Nations a leading role in Iraq, as well as setting a possible timeframe for U.S.-led forces to leave Iraq.
Despite its opposition to the war, Russia has backed stabilization efforts, repeatedly expressed concern over the continuing violence. Moscow also appears intent on playing a greater role in Iraq, sending its ambassador in Baghdad to a meeting last month with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in what Russian officials portrayed as an attempt to widen Russia's dialogue with various political forces. Analysts cast it as a Kremlin attempt to carve out an independent niche.
Tuesday, a Russian- and Chinese-led security grouping, the Shanghai Organization, for the United States and its coalition allies in Afghanistan to set a date for withdrawing from several states in Central Asia, reflecting growing unease at America's military presence in the region.
The Kremlin official, who declined to be identified in accordance with Kremlin press rules, also said the G-8 should work to make the political process in Iraq more inclusive, in line with the recommendations of last month's Brussels meeting on Iraq hosted by the European Union and the United States. Delegates there expressed support for the Iraqi government's efforts toward democratization amid friction between the Shiite Muslim majority and the once politically dominant Sunni Muslim minority.
A senior German government official said his delegation was prepared to discuss Germany's role in police training and ``capacity-building'' - rebuilding Iraq's ministries.
Putin wants UN to take lead in Iraq.
Of course he does. He wants that money train to start rolling his way again.
You read my mind before my fingers could type it out!
Seems like a very tough decision. Nail the final nail in the UN's coffin, or win the war in Iraq?
I would go for the latter, but it is a tough decision.
Why can't we have both at the same time???
The best way we can condemn the people of Iraq to perpetual morass is to hand them over to the UN. The Insurgents terrorists will be ensured victory in their efforts to make it another Islamic terrorist republic.
Shouldn't Putin be looking for a way to nab a Boston Red Sox World Series ring instead of meddling in international politics?
I'm always amazed at how these two stooges manage to shoot themselves in the foot in a very public way........
The UN couldn't wait to get out of there the moment their headquarters took a hit. How long does Putin think they would stay this time?
Sure, we'll turn Iraq over the the UN just as soon as the UN gets Bosnia, Kosovo, and Sudan all squared away. Oh, and as soon as all the rebuilding is done in the countries hit by the tsunami.
Don't hold your breathe, Vlad.
Do you think Putin cares -- he wants the US out of Iraq and my question would be why? I never trusted him and never will. His eyes give me the creeps -- they are like cold as ice.
Putrid is an ignorant, insane and powermad with short man syndrome.
...Putin wants UN to take lead in Iraq.
Of course he does. He wants that money train to start rolling his way again....
EXACTLY. Mrs Putin wants a villa in Switzerland and the IRAQ war has stopped her gravy train. lol
Doesn't he realize that Halliburton is running this war?
Too many of our lads have died for the UN to be allowed to go in and make it a total mess.
Regards, Ivan
Right there the agenda is exposed.
What contribution did that staement have to the topic at hand?
Isn't this the same guy that they said was history because of his support of America?
Putin wants UN to take lead in Iraq
Sure, any rational person in the entire world can see the sense in that statement.
With what, and to do what?
Yep, I'm waiting for those 150,000 strong armored UN divisions to deploy any day now.
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