Debunking yet another lie About Iraq
UNITED NATIONS — Lies, allegations and pure disinformation about Iraq swirl through America like the blowing Autumn leaves. The charges and counter charges come in all colors and the pure quantity of the allegations overwhelm reasonable arguments. In the meantime U.S. forces are fighting a tenacious foe often with the impression that Americans back home simply don’t care. On this Veterans Day we owe it to the troops to take a sober look at the issue.
A central myth remains that no matter what people may think of the deposed dictator Saddam Hussein and his regime, his ousting was not authorized by the United Nations and thus somehow lacks the global good housekeeping seal of legitimacy. Even many people otherwise supporting the overthrow of the Iraqi tyrant, seem troubled by this apparent sin of omission. So this may come as a surprise to most Americans — on either side of an increasingly contentious debate — that the UN Security Council while not formally endorsing the March 2003 liberation of Iraq, has in fact signed on to the continuing military stabilization mission underscoring Iraqi freedom.
In a important but underreported meeting, the UN Security Council unanimously (that includes France, Russia and People’s China who vociferously opposed the 2003 action) adopted a resolution (#1637)extending by one year, the mandate of the U.S. led-multinational forces in Iraq. The coalition’s mandate was originally authorized by the UN in June 2004 after formal sovereignty was transferred from the occupation authorities to the new Iraqi government.
Hold on — most will say! “The UN has never authorized what’s seen as a pure American and British “occupation” of Iraq. No way has the UN given Washington a green light for troops in Iraq.”
Well let’s look at the record. Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari requested that the Security Council offer needed and continued support from the multinational military forces because the Iraqi army is not yet able to establish “lasting peace and security”
Thus the multinational military mandate has been extended for one year — subject to review in six months — or whenever Iraqi government requests it.
Denmark, Japan, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States, co-sponsored the resolution which sailed through the Council without the usual rancor and political pyrotechnics which characterized most meetings concerning Iraq in 2003.
American Ambassador John Bolton commented, “We thought the manner in which the resolution was adopted in a constructive, cooperative and very rapid fashion was a good sign.” Bolton added that the resolution “expressed a clear desire of the international community to support the evolving democratic process in Iraq.”
And contrary to many snide comments, this resolution was not a purely Anglo/American show but rather was co-sponsored by Denmark, Romania and Japan.
British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said, “As a contributor to the multinational forces, the United Kingdom would continue working in close partnership with the Iraqi government in assisting its efforts to assure that Iraqi forces assumed full responsibility for security and stability in Iraq as soon as possible, “ He added “That efforts by the insurgency spreading death, heartbreak and misery, would only delay completion of the force’s mandate. Such terrorist acts must not be allowed to disrupt Iraq’s transition.”
Indeed training a viable and sufficiently sized security force remains the key to stability in Iraq as well as the primary exit strategy for foreign military forces. This is precisely why the terrorists especially target Iraqi police and military as to weaken the resolve and stability of the Baghdad government and to keep multinational troops stationed in Iraq as long as possible as to fuel a contentious political debate particularly in the USA.
In a world where fiction becomes fact it’s more important than ever to restate the facts- while the lions share of troops in Iraq are American (157,000) and British, (12,000) the multinational collation in Iraq has twenty-five members with troop contributions (10,000) from such countries as the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Japan and small contingents from a score of others ranging from Albania to the Baltic States and the Czech Republic.
But the hydra head of terrorism goes well beyond Iraq — the horrific bombings of three hotels in Amman, Jordan killing at least 57 innocent Arab civilians underscores the simmering danger. Significantly, Jordan hosts Iraqi police training and thus comes into the cross hairs of the terrorists. The Kingdom of Jordan, a key American regional ally, has been targeted by Al-Qaida for destabilization. In a stinging backlash to the terror, Jordanians from all walks of life have taken to the streets to protest Al-Qaida’s assault on their country.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.  |
