FRANCE SEE ROLE FOR SELF, U N IN POST-WAR IRAQ (update and newer article)

Reuters | March 18, 2003 | Tom Heneghan

[KE]

France sees role for self, U.N. in post-war Iraq

By Tom Heneghan

PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - Far from feeling sidelined now that war is imminent, France sees itself as a key player in the next phase of the Iraq crisis when it comes to managing the country after Saddam Hussein is gone.

One argument often heard recently was that France might not block the pro-war resolution Washington sought from the United Nations because it would have sidelined the Security Council.

But Paris, whose threatened veto torpedoed the resolution, thinks it will stand aside only for the war phase in Iraq before bounding back into an influential position as the United Nations is called on to help solve a raft of post-victory problems.

In several recent interviews explaining France's anti-war stand, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin has thrown the issue forward to raise questions of what will happen in Iraq once Saddam is overthrown.

"Everyone knows one can win a war quickly but no country can construct peace alone," he told Europe 1 radio on Monday. "We think the United Nations cannot be ignored and will be at the heart of the management of Iraq after Saddam Hussein."

Looking beyond the tensions that France's veto threat caused with its partners, other Europeans apparently agree.

"We want them to be involved, although that may not be the way the Americans look at it," one British official said.

France believes the Security Council, where it has a permanent seat, should have a say on post-war issues as varied as humanitarian aid, trade sanctions and future oil policy.

CHALLENGE OF LEGITIMACY

The United States has been reported to be planning a two-year military administration for post-war Iraq, but Iraqi opposition leaders said on Monday they had been told Washington wanted to hand over power to Iraqi civilians within weeks of victory.

Villepin said in another interview that the issue of legitimacy would be the first question to confront any post-Saddam administration.

"Without the U.N., any foreign presence in Iraq on the day after the war will not get around being confronted with a problem of legitimacy," he told the weekly magazine Marianne.

The U.N. will play a role in housing refugees, distributing humanitarian aid and even managing Iraqi oil resources, Villepin said on France Inter radio.

"Let me remind you that the current system of exploiting Iraqi oil is based on the 'oil for food' resolution. It governs the management of Iraqi exports and uses the revenues for subsidising goods for the Iraqi population. We cannot erase this reality from one day to the next."

Villepin has not spoken publicly about any French role in rebuilding Iraq but officials privately say they hardly expect Washington to pass hefty construction contracts to Paris after it opposed the war so adamantly.

French officials say Washington would also have to turn to the Security Council to have the trade sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War lifted.

At the United Nations headquarters in New York, officials of the world body have said they are working on a plan for a U.N. mission to run Iraq after a short U.S. military administration.

The Security Council would have to authorise the mission if the United States toppled Saddam without U.N. backing, the officials said earlier this month.

U.N. and U.S. officials were working separately on their plans for post-war Iraq, they said, but Jay Garner -- the retired lieutenant general tipped to be the U.S. administrator in Baghdad -- has visited U.N. headquarters to discuss how to make them mesh.

[dfwgator]

I don't know about the French, but I think that Bush and Putin have already made a secret deal to give Russia some of the spoils.

[Ukiapah Heep]

The only role they should have is a role of toilet paper.

[Billthedrill]

Actually, it isn't U.S. opinion the French should be belatedly concerned about, it's the opinion of the Iraqis who will undoubtedly be given their country back. Naturally these will immediately forget who was fighting the liberation of their country tooth and nail...sure they will...

[wideawake]

What experience has France had with this phenomenon?

That's easy! Vietnam! . . . no . . . no . . .

Algeria! . . . no . . . no . . .

WWII . . . no . . . no . . . kinda sat that one out . . .

WWI . . . no . . . no . . .

Franco-Prussian War . . . no . . . no . . .

Napoleonic campaign against Russia . . . no . . . no . . .

Napoleonic campaign against England . . . no . . . no . . .

Seven Years War . . . no . . . no . . .

Gosh . . .

[Mister Baredog]

France believes the Security Council, where it has a permanent seat, should have a say on post-war issues as varied as humanitarian aid, trade sanctions and future oil policy

Yea, I'll bet they do, I sure hope they don't!

[Cicero]

It would be a mistake to involve the UN in any way in Iraq, before, during, or after. They would just undermine anything useful we could do there. Nothing would get done without continuous arguments and heartburn. They would insist on handling the oil revenues. They would insist on overseeing the treatment of prisoners, and of Saddam and family in particular. They would insist on sweetheart contracts of all kinds.

No thanks. They didn't grow the wheat or bake the bread, so they don't get to eat it.

[Republic]

This wanting to 'help' in the reconstruction is the most bogus bit of crappy greed France has so far come up with...OF COURSE France wants is hands in the 'pie', using the word 'help' instead of 'grabbing contracts and preserving the horrors Chirac and Saddam had worked together on building.....Saddam has huge promises in the mill to France, including the MAJOR OIL distribution of Iraqi oil once the sanctions were lifted.

France and Germany can stand by and watch Iraq claim its oil for ITSELF and observe a FREE IRAQ contracting with America, Poland, Turkey, SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA, and about 31 other countries willing to help us take down that dispicable tyrant that France wanted to pacify for future gain.

WE KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, Chirac. Read this and weep.

[Zorrito]

Frogs get latrine duty. Period!

[steve-b]

FRANCE SEE ROLE FOR SELF, UN IN POST-WAR IRAQ

If that's what they're seeing, they must be eating 'shrooms instead of truffles.

[speedy]

Wait -- I just thought of one -- how could it have slipped my mind -- a quick and decisive French military success in relatively recent times -- the glorious campaign against the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior!! Allons, enfants de la patrie!!!

[truth_seeker]

"Let me remind you that the current system of exploiting Iraqi oil is based on the 'oil for food' resolution. It governs the management of Iraqi exports and uses the revenues for subsidising goods for the Iraqi population. We cannot erase this reality from one day to the next."

Once disarmed, why would ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, be talking about 'oil for food?'

Which goes to say, these fools see UN permanent beauracracy as a permanent condition, wherever and whenever it occurs.

I say the US plus allies, go it alone. The UN failed miserably. Oil for food didn't work, for the UN stood by watching funds be diverted from food/medicine to weaponry.

Why trust the UN? It is corrupt, lacks a moral basis. Iraq head "Disarmament committee", while Libya heads
"Human Rights" committee.

With those as facts, nothing more needs to be said.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I wouldn't hire France to take out the trash. For them to even think that they will be granted anything but a middle finger suggests that their leadership has serious mental problems.

[TheSpottedOwl]

ER, what did this guy mean when he said "Everyone knows one can win a war quickly." What experience has France had with this phenomenon?

Why from all the times they sat on their arses and watched the Allies bail them out....

[StormEye]

Here's a thought: Does America become an OPEC country
when we whip Iraq and take over oil production there?

[YOMO]

Nope! The don't know what that Toilet Paper is for.

[monkeywrench]

"Villepin said in another interview that the issue of legitimacy would be the first question to confront any post-Saddam administration. "Without the U.N., any foreign presence in Iraq on the day after the war will not get around being confronted with a problem of legitimacy,"

So, the day after the war they're going to be screaming for us to leave. Get ready for more noise from france.

[MadIvan]

FRANCE SEE ROLE FOR SELF, U N IN POST-WAR IRAQ

What part of "eff off" did they fail to understand?

Regards, Ivan

[Boundless]

> France sees itself as a key player in the next phase of
> the Iraq crisis ...

They are indeed a key player.

They are the most qualified to explain why huge amounts of
embargoed products are stamped "Fabrique en France".

[q_an_a]

Every year FEMA handles emergency problems of tornados, floods and more in a nation mush larger than France or Iraq combined. I think that one nation can manage to fix the problems from a bombing run.

The first solution is to level all those former govenment building and defense buildings. You won't need most of them in the new country. Cell phones will replace your regular phones, so that will solve a few more missing buildings. How we doing so far??

[chainsaw]

FRANCE SEE ROLE FOR SELF, U N IN POST-WAR IRAQ (update and newer article)

France's role will be to recover $86 Billion dollars that Iraq owes them for meterials to make weapons of mass destruction, other military hardware.

Gen. Franks wasn't born yesterday, and France will just have to suck ass for awhile.