US And Britain Isolated As Iraq Buries Its Dead

Independent (UK) ^ | 9-14-2003 | Rupert Cornwell/AndyMcSmith/Jo Dillon

[blam]

US and Britain isolated as Iraq angrily buries its dead

Tensions rise in Iraq over massacre of policemen

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington, Andy McSmith and Jo Dillon in London
14 September 2003

Bitter divisions re-emerged yesterday among the world's five most powerful countries about how soon America is prepared to return power to the Iraqi people.

The United States slapped down as unacceptable a French plan to end its occupation within a month, although Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, talked down the differences after the Geneva meeting of the United Nation's big five.

The failure to reach agreement on a new Security Council resolution that would pave the way for tens of thousands of international troops to go to Iraq under a UN flag, came as the situation on the ground grew yet more perilous.

Wild gunfire and anger erupted across the city of Fallujah yesterday during the burial of the US-trained paramilitary police shot by mistake in an hour-long gun battle on Friday. The latest tragedy comes on top of a rising death toll of ordinary Iraqis from lawlessness, banditry and American guns, which, according to an investigation by The Independent on Sunday's Robert Fisk, could be as high as 1,000 civilians a week.

The failure of the occupying forces to bring law and order to the country and the ability of the Iraqi resistance to strike with near-impunity are also galvanising international opinion against America and Britain.

If a new resolution is not agreed during further talks in New York this week, George Bush and Tony Blair can expect a month of public humiliation over the Iraq crisis. Washington and London had hoped the meeting of the veto-wielding members of the council would begin to draw the UN into the task of reconstructing Iraq. Instead, it produced a virtual replay of the pre-war rift.

President Bush is to address the UN General Assembly in nine days, where a majority can be expected to be loud and vocal in their opposition. Despite yesterday's failure, Mr Powell put the best gloss on the talks, saying he was encouraged, while adding: "Of course, there are differences of opinion on certain aspects."

But yesterday the very Iraqis that the occupying forces have enlisted as their allies angrily buried their dead. "America is the enemy of God," the crowds chanted as eight flag-draped coffins were carried into the town's Sunni mosque in Fallujah. The imam, Fawzi Namiq, called for an end to the random shooting that crackled from every corner of the city. "Save your bullets for the chests of the enemy," he said through loudspeakers.

Mr Powell rejected as "totally unrealistic" the French call for a timetable that would install a provisional government within a month, followed by a draft constitution and elections next spring.

"It would be delightful if one could do that, but one can't," was his scornful response.

UN involvement in peace- keeping and reconstruction would be a relief to Mr Blair, not only for political reasons, but because of the rising cost to the Exchequer of the British presence in Iraq. In his autumn statement on future spending plans, Mr Brown is expected to acknowledge that the £3bn set aside to fund military action against Saddam has proved insufficient to meet the dual tasks of fighting and maintaining a military presence in Iraq. He is expected to provide an extra £1bn.

"There will be a shortfall - and that will have to be met from the public finances," a government source said. "But the sums we are dealing with here are not huge in the wider scale of things. There is no way we are going to dump our responsibilities of rebuilding the place and improving the lives of people living there. It would be morally indefensible to shirk from that."

In addition to the cost to the public purse, Mr Blair has to count the growing political cost. Opposition to the war is expected to damage Labour's support in Thursday's by-election in the normally safe Labour seat of Brent East.

The Hutton inquiry into the suicide of Dr David Kelly will resume tomorrow, throwing more light on relations between the Government and the intelligence services, and how vital decisions are reached. Witnesses called tomorrow will include Air-Marshal Sir Joe French, a former chief of defence intelligence, and Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC.

Mr Blair is also facing the embarrassment of having the Labour Party's conference condemn him for going to war without UN support. Many local Labour parties have written to the head office asking for Iraq to be on the agenda. One resolutioncalls for "an end to Britain's participation in the US-led occupation of Iraq".

Diplomats are doubtful that any resolution on Iraq can be agreed before Mr Bush's speech to the UN General Assembly on 23 September. The best Washington can expect is for France to abstain, along with Russia and Germany, which has a non-permanent seat on the council. The sole crumb of comfort is that none of those who disagree with the US wants to provoke a showdown like the one that led to the March debacle, as Britain and the US simply by-passed the UN to launch the invasion.

Mr Bush, however, is unabashed by either criticism from abroad or his tumbling popularity at home. Far from stilling disquiet, his televised address last Sunday saw his approval rates drop from 59 per cent beforehand to 52 per cent afterwards, according to a CNN-Gallup poll. Six out of 10 Americans believe the administration does not have a coherent plan for Iraq.

[dighton]

The latest tragedy comes on top of a rising death toll of ordinary Iraqis from lawlessness, banditry and American guns, which, according to an investigation by The Independent on Sunday's Robert Fisk, could be as high as 1,000 civilians a week.

Ah, the "renowned war correspondent."

Iraqi Army’s Defenses Seem Impenetrable

[Agnes Heep]

This entire article is utter crap.

[niteowl77]

You've convinced me. Let's pull our troops out and nuke the place.

[Dialup Llama]

>Mr Bush, however, is unabashed by either criticism from abroad or his tumbling popularity at home. Far from stilling disquiet, his televised address last Sunday saw his approval rates drop from 59 per cent beforehand to 52 ...

52% is 'tumbling' popularity?

The Euro and US press are not neutral reporters of news but think of themselves as players, kingmakers and have a decided anti-American, anti-western, anti-middleclass view and they don't let any facts get in their way in their hatred of the west and their love of the socialist elites.

Reuters, Al Jazzero, the Beeb and NPR have reporting that are all completely indistinguishable from each other.

[lawdude]

"We have completely failed in winning these people to our side. When you kill a bunch who had tried to go along with us you do incredible damage to building any relationship. Having failed at this approach we are left with total violent oppression of these masses and the attendant swing of the populace into the terrorist movement. This is very frustrating and doesn't appear to be worth the money."

Caution. DU troll. Seems this nitwit just signed up today. All the credibility of klinton (pos)

[Ben Chad]

Sky is falling alert.

[niteowl77]

Caution. DU troll. Seems this nitwit just signed up today.

And judging from the quality of flyspecks he's leaving on FR today, I probably should have added a "sarcasm" tag to #5.

[dighton]

Caution. DU troll. Seems this nitwit just signed up today. All the credibility of klinton (pos)

Correct. This idiot elmosfire is all over the map.

[dighton]

He never knew what hit him.

[dr_who_2]

War correspondent? No more a war correspondent than a vulture you might see circling a safe distance above a battlefield. Truth isn't what he's after.

[geedee]

The latest tragedy comes on top of a rising death toll of ordinary Iraqis from lawlessness, banditry and American guns, which, according to an investigation by The Independent on Sunday's Robert Fisk, could be as high as 1,000 civilians a week.

I'm no lawyer . . . so somebody help me out. Fisk wouldn't know a fact if it whacked him upside the head. I understand there will be different takes on particular facts . . . liberal VS conservative . . . but if measurable facts are purposefully being distorted isn't there some damn thing us poor peasants can do to these idiots other than boycotting?

There is no way in hell that 1000 civilians a week are dying in Iraq because of "lawlessness, banditry and American guns." These liberal jackasses have no shame. They'll distort every fact and/or make them up if none exist to justify their kumbaya philosophy.

I don't know about you . . . but I'd pony up some dough to some kind of legal fund to take them on if it would do any good. God knows our Republican leaders don't have any gonads . . . maybe it's time for us poor peasants to start taking the libbers on directly.

[joesnuffy]

The battlefield is the most dangerous place on earth...

Plenty of US troops get hit with "friendly fire"...there are always mix ups regardless of how hard you try for it not to happen...

Of course the enemy or enemies make the most of this propaganda

Seems to me the UN troops made much more of a mess than anyone...running prostitution rings
strong arming civilians..rape ...etc..

I'd say the Iraqis would be much better off with us in charge...fewer screw ups and corruption