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Rebuilding Iraq once the war is done will include significant cash from other nations. If France wants to pay to build water treatement plants across the country, let them pick their own contractors, who cares, they're paying for it.

Why shouldn't the money come directly from oil revenues? We shouldn't be shouldering Iraq with more debt, seeing as they already owe nearly $100 billion. We should be negotiating debt forgiveness for them (by the Saudis among others). Seeing as Vivendi already owns US Filter, it apparently doesn't matter who installs water systems.

However, the country's oil wealth and the money that flows from that and how it is spent will be in the hands of a US friendly government.

Not under oil-for-food.

I predict a lion's share of any contracts with Iraq will flow to US and British companies, a middling portion to other countries that helped prosecute the war, and a token amount to the weasels (just for show).

How will that happen with the escrow account under UN control? With the UN making a 2.2% cut, why would they let it end? How would we end it if it is reinstituted and the UN controls it as you suggest?

To paraphrase the Bonzo Dog Band, 'Let's face it, that's credulous as hell.'

We seem to be talking past each other, but I must admit more of it seems to be coming from your end. That being said, you seem to be under the impression that I am some kind of UN lover. I am not, I am a pragmatist. I would love to see it go away, however, that is not going to happen soon. If it goes it will take much more than this engagement, nor is GWB going to just stand up and declare the US is leaving. Wishing something to be so doesn't make it real.

You seem to keep skipping over my contention that as soon as this war has ended, the UN sanctions will be lifted and the Food for Oil program will no longer be in play. The F4O program can be used to our benefit, while the war is conducted and as long as the US controls the oil fields. How long will that be? 30 days? 60? 90? While it is still in play no other country will openly violate the UN Sanctions as long as they are in place.

Don't forget that even though much of the world considers us rogue, we have conducted this war under the contention that we are in compliance with the UN and resolution 1441.

It's called plausible deniability and with the exception of bombing the hell out of Iraq, Bush has not indicated any intention of violating UN resolutions, much less pulling out and watching the UN fold...leave that to the French and Germans. They have a much greater interest in building a Euro coalition headed by Paris, Berlin and Brussels to establish a beachhead to counter American hedgemony.

Now, that doesn't mean there aren't grander designs across the Atlantic to see a nuetered UN, but first, a couple upstarts will have to be put back in their box to make sure we aren't exchanging one tick for another.