Powell rejects UN leadership in post-war Iraq (There May Be Hope Yet)

AP ^ | 11 April, 2003

[Happy2BMe]

WASHINGTON (AFP) WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) challenged Russian, French and German leaders' contention that only the United Nations (news - web sites) has the authority to rebuild post-war Iraq (news - web sites).

"We're not prepared to say, 'fine, this conflict has come to some conclusion and we're all leaving and going to turn it over to the United Nations'," he told NBC's Nightly News.

Earlier Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites), French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met in St. Petersburg. At a joint press conference, they said that the United Nations should resolve problems in post-war Iraq.

"Those nations that paid the political price and the price in blood and the price in treasure in order to create the circumstances where a new government, a new democratic government can be created, I think, we have an important leading role to play in the structure of this," Powell said.

Putin went further, impugning US motives for invading Iraq, as a test case for a series of similar operations for dealing with recalcitrant nations.

"We are not going to export capitalist, democratic revolutions," Putin said.

"If we do, we're going to end up on a slippery slope to non-ending military conflicts. We can't let that happen."

Powell said President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has many options in dealing with international terrorism.

"The president has many tools at his disposal: political, economic, diplomatic and military and intelligence and law enforcement and the power of persuasion and now a new tool: the power of example.

"And that example will be Iraq," Powell said.

[Happy2BMe]

I may retract half of what I've said about Powell being a "U.N." wannabe.

[Support Free Republic]

Do You Think He Wants You To Donate To Free Republic?
	Tick him off. Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Happy2BMe]

I got the following story via email, does anyone have a link for this?

"When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of "empire building" by George Bush.

He answered by saying that, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."

It became very quiet in the room."

[Howlin]

But........but.........but.......I was told Bush was a U.N. guy and was going to turn this over to the U.N.

This can't be right!

[Born to Conserve]

well, except for that little thing with Spain.

[Happy2BMe]

Let's keep our fingers crossed. This could be a bigger win than the war itself!

[Happy2BMe]

"well, except for that little thing with Spain."

What bug in the ointment do you speak of dear sir?

[deport]

The UN will play a role...... never fear. You know like maybe providing drinking water, seeds for the land, etc.... LOL...

Oh, by the way..... "Beware of idiots bearing gifts"....... They know not what they speak..

[JudgemAll]

POW! Take that Putin! Powell may be for coalition building, but he ain't taking no political racist excrement from Putin. What? Can't export capitalism because it would mean conflict? As if the dictatorships did not colonize and cause conflict and terrorism.... Talk about Jungan projection brought to a lawyeristic form.... from an "ex"communist nonetheless...

[spokeshave]

"Those nations that paid the political price and the price in blood and the price in treasure in order to create the circumstances where a new government, a new democratic government can be created, I think, we have an important leading role to play in the structure of this," Powell said.

Well said and worth repeating

[EaglesUpForever]

Here's The Link.

He actually said:

"We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we’ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."

so it was paraphrased, but it's definitely from him. Powell's good cop act seems to have been convincing enough to make many suspect him when they shouldn't. Remember who he works for.

[Happy2BMe]

Colin Powell on 'Empire Building'

I know who he works for, but sometimes I wonder if he does.

#:>)

[Happy2BMe]

Thanks for that great link, BTW!

[heyhey]

I know who he works for, but sometimes I wonder if he does.

works United Nations not America

[heyhey]

Just watch the Money and oil,World Bank

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks for the link, it's a good read.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"We are not going to export capitalist, democratic revolutions," Putin said.

Well, I guess once a KGB agent...always a KGB agent.

Ba-bye Pooty-Poot. Ba-bye.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

He answered by saying that, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."

I saw that on another thread but can't seem to find it now!

It is a great statement!

[heyhey]

Brussels to investigate US contracts in Iraq
By Tobias Buck in Brussels Apr 10 2003 19:19

The European Commission is examining contracts awarded by the US for reconstruction work in Iraq to find out whether they breach World Trade Organisation rules and discriminate unfairly against European companies.

The move could throw up a new irritant at a time when relations between Washington and Brussels are already severely strained by the highly critical stance adopted by many European Union members towards the war in Iraq.

It also comes as trade negotiators on both sides of the Atlantic struggle to overcome their differences over further trade liberalisation in the current WTO round as well as a growing number of bilateral trade disputes.

The EU insists that the US abide by the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, which states that, in principle, contracts awarded by national governments or their agencies must be open to businesses from abroad.

However, a spokeswoman for Pascal Lamy, the EU trade commissioner, conceded that this rule did not apply to vast bulk of contracts signed by the US Agency for International Development, the State Department organisation that oversees US humanitarian aid projects, and which so far has been largely responsible for reconstruction contracts in Iraq. Contracts that touch upon issues related to "national security" or "national defence" are also not covered by the agreement.

This is because WTO members were given significant leeway in deciding what sectors and government agencies they would open to foreign competition.

"We will be examining [the contracts] on a case-by-case basis. We have to examine whether each of them falls under the exceptions the WTO rules provide for," the spokeswoman said.

However, the Commission stressed that it was keen to avoid formal proceedings against the US in front of the WTO: "The last thing we need now is a row at the WTO," she added.

Officials also said that they were not aware of any complaints from European companies regarding the current tenders for reconstruction work. "We have not yet identified any particular problems. We hope that they respect the rules. But if they don't, there is the WTO," a Commission official said.

[Happy2BMe]

Soviet Spymaster Kalugin on Bush, CIA Complacency, and Enemies of America

US Congress: Russia will be barred from Iraq restoration