U.S. said near to declaring Iraq victory

Reuters | 4/19/03

[kattracks]

U.S. said near to declaring Iraq victory

SYDNEY, April 20 (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces in Iraq will proclaim victory in the next few days, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Sunday, while a top European offical called for the return to Iraq of U.N. arms inspectors.

With the war winding down, Downer said final touches were being made to a formal proclamation of victory.

"There's just some tidying up going on in relation to the final proclamation," Downer told Australia's Seven Network television.

Australia is one of a handful of countries, dubbed the "coalition of the willing" by U.S. President George W. Bush, that committed troops to the war.

Downer said there had been discussions between the United States, Britain and Australia on the wording of a proclamation.

"Obviously it has to be absolutely accurate legally. It also has to be a proclamation that strikes the right political tone."

"So work is still being done on that," Downer said. "But it will happen in the next few days."

A top European Union official said the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq was vital to verify the presence of any weapons of mass destruction uncovered by U.S.-led forces.

Chris Patten, European Union Commissioner for External Relations, said U.N. inspectors must be on hand to add credibility to any inspections.

"I do think, on the questions of weapons inspections, it's in everybody interest that there should be as wide belief in the reports of inspectors as possible."

The inspectors were pulled out of Iraq shortly before the war started in March.

"Obviously, it must be a worry that if things are simply found by the coalition, which has been fighting the war, people in Arab countries, the Islamic world, will be less inclined to believe it than if it was done by the U.N.," Patten told Seven Network television.

"So I think there's an interest for everyone in getting the U.N. back at some stage to verify anything that's discovered," said Patten, who is visiting Australia.

Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said last week his experts could be back in Iraq within two weeks of a green light from the U.N. Security Council.

04/19/03 21:12 ET

[solzhenitsyn]

If declaring victory is legally the same as declaring an end to hostilities, it might be better to hold off a little. Not certain, but I believe that under the Geneva Convention, you have to release all prisoners of war at the end of hostilities. If so, we'd lose most of our leverage over large numbers of captured combatants we're still trying to interrogate. Just a thought.

[solzhenitsyn]

"Obviously, it must be a worry that if things are simply found by the coalition, which has been fighting the war, people in Arab countries, the Islamic world, will be less inclined to believe it than if it was done by the U.N.," Patten told Seven Network television.

I have little use for the UN, but I tend to agree with Comissioner Patten on this point. I'd be inclined to let the UN inspectors return to Iraq. Could also be worthwhile to have the UN supervise the Iraqi elections, for the same reason. If we run the elections single-handedly, it'll always be claimed that we rigged them.

[dwilli]

Looks like they would get the supply lines fully operating, the basic services restored and all that booty the military
is guarding in a safe place before they relinquish total control.

[TheGunny]

What do you mean by that?

[dwilli]

crowd control. The Iraqis have so many factions, one of them is bound to revolt sooner than later.

[McGavin999]

I don't think the weapons inspectors should be allowed back in until Blix is gone. I understand his contract is up (IIRC in June) and hopefully he'll be replaced with a REAL inspector who knows what he's doing.