Posted on 04/03/2003 12:46:17 PM PST by kattracks
Powell non-committal as Europe demands UN Iraq role
BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell faced near unanimous demands from EU and NATO states on Thursday to give the United Nations a key role in postwar Iraq but did not spell out how Washington would share power there.
Powell said the United Nations should be a partner in running Iraq after President Saddam Hussein is overthrown but that the United States and Britain should lead the transition from a military administration to an Iraqi-run government.
European Union and NATO leaders came out of a series of meetings with Powell, their first big session with him since the U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq last month, saying they saw a possible transatlantic consensus on the U.N.'s role emerging.
Powell also said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation might provide peacekeeping troops for postwar Iraq since no member objected to this. France, Germany and Belgium opposed a pre-war plan for NATO to help boost Turkey's defences.
"There will definitely be a U.N. role but what the exact nature of that role will be remains to be seen," Powell told a news conference after more than 20 meetings.
He said a little more in an interview with a French daily. "The desirable role for the United Nations must be worked out. It should administer humanitarian aid and give its blessing to the temporary authority that will be appointed," he was quoted as saying in an advanced edition of Friday's Le Figaro.
The United States expects to run the oil-rich country after the war, arguing it has risked its soldiers' lives and spent billions of dollars to prepare it for representative government, but has invited its allies to help pay for emergency aid.
AFGHAN MODEL
Britain, Washington's closest ally on Iraq, stressed the need to hand power to the Iraqi people as soon as possible.
But Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made clear London wanted the United Nations to play a role similar to the one it played in Afghanistan, where it oversaw a conference to name a new Kabul government and its inauguration within six weeks in 2001.
"There will have to be a lot of detailed discussion before we reach a conclusion about the exact role of the United Nations in post-conflict Iraq, but there will be an important role," Straw said.
"We are advocating to everybody that the country should be handed over to the Iraqi people as quickly as possible," he told reporters. "It's not about the U.N. running postwar Iraq, it's about the Iraqi people running postwar Iraq."
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and NATO Secretary General George Robertson both said they saw moves towards closing the splits that over Iraq in the weeks before the war.
"We see a consensus emerging," said Papandreou, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. "The importance we place on the United Nations role is recognised by the United States."
Robertson spoke of "a growing consensus in the future," but others attending the talks were more cautious.
Chris Patten, the EU's External Relations Commissioner, told Britain's Sky TV he found "quite a lot of agreement on general principles but there's still an awful lot of talking to do."
Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh said all EU members stressed the U.N. had to have the leading role in postwar Iraq. "If the United States will listen to this and we have gotten closer to each other, that is too early to say," she added.
Powell's day-long visit, crammed with bilateral sessions and a NATO foreign ministers council, included meetings with leading anti-war European foreign ministers -- Dominique de Villepin of France, Igor Ivanov of Russia and Germany's Joschka Fischer.
Powell, seen as the most moderate figure in Washington, also consulted on ideas on the Middle East peace process and said Washington wanted to publish the "road map" to push that process forward, a U.S. official said.
NATO ROLE IN IRAQ?
Powell said NATO members were willing to consider a peacekeeping role in postwar Iraq if the need arose: "I'm pleased there is at least a receptive attitude here today that NATO is willing to consider that (a role)."
"The important thing is that no one raised any objection to that possibility," he added.
A German source said this apparent unanimity might not be all it seemed as participants were not asked individually what they thought of the idea.
"The question of a NATO role was rather abstract and should stay that way," Germany's Fischer said afterwards.
The current U.S. post-war is that a U.S. administrator, retired Lieutenant-General Jay Garner, would run Iraq in conjunction with U.S. and British forces until the United States can set up an "interim Iraqi authority" with limited powers.
(Additional reporting by David Evans, Lisa Jucca and Robin Pomeroy)
04/03/03 15:42 ET
I hope Powell continues in this vein and doesn't succumb to the whiny "used to be" close allies. But...I'm not holding my breath.
Sure hope you're right and Powell has developed a spine of steel.
``Who will plant this wheat?'' she said.
``Not I,'' said the Goose.
``Not I,'' said the Duck.
``I will, then,'' said the little Red Hen, and she planted the grain of wheat.
When the wheat was ripe she said, ``Who will take this wheat to the mill?''
``Not I,'' said the Goose.
``Not I,'' said the Duck.
``I will, then,'' said the little Red Hen, and she took the wheat to the mill.
When she brought the flour home she said, ``Who will make some bread with this flour?''
``Not I,'' said the Goose.
``Not I,'' said the Duck.
``I will, then,'' said the little Red Hen
When the bread was baked, she said, ``Who will eat this bread?''
``I will,'' said the Goose
``I will,'' said the Duck
``No, you won't,'' said the little Red Hen. ``I shall eat it myself. Cluck! cluck!'' And she called her chickens to help her.
You're right...they've always done that in the past. Hopefully (fingers crossed) we've learned a lesson from our erstwhile allies...at the cost of American lives.
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