Politics, Jesus, Country
I believe that is a proper ideal ranking for Mr. Bush, who would turn down troops from other countries just to maintain control of the overall operation.
President George W. Bush rebuffed a plan last month for a Muslim peacekeeping force that would have helped the United Nations organize elections in Iraq, according to Saudi and Iraqi officials.
As a result, the UN continues to have a skeletal presence in Iraq, with only four staff members working full time on preparing for elections set for the end of January. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has refused to establish a new UN headquarters in Baghdad unless countries commit troops for a special force to protect it.
Saudi leaders, including Crown Prince Abdullah, personally lobbied Bush in July to sign off on the plan to establish a contingent of several hundred troops from Arab and Muslim nations. Abdullah discussed the plan in a 10-minute phone conversation with Bush on July 28 after meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell, according to Saudi officials familiar with the negotiations.
Diplomats said Annan accepted the plan. But the Bush administration objected because the special force would have been controlled by the UN instead of by U.S. military officers who run the Multi-National Force in Iraq. Muslim and Arab countries refused to work under U.S. command, and the initiative died in early September.
Muslim countries not wanting to be subjugated to second-class status under a foreign power? Sounds similar to the ideals our country held so high during the era of the Monroe Doctrine, or the entire history of the Middle East. To Bush’s credit, he didn’t come home empty handed.
October 21st, 2004 at 12:28 am
Good Reading
Digby does a good job of explaining why the Bush administration shouldn’t be trusted on the flu vaccine issue, reminding fellow citizens that back in the day, Cheney advocated universal anthrax innoculations but was stopped by the outcry from the…
October 21st, 2004 at 12:49 am
Good Reading
Digby does a good job of explaining why the Bush administration shouldn’t be trusted on the flu vaccine issue, reminding fellow citizens that back in the day, Cheney advocated universal anthrax innoculations but was stopped by the outcry from the…
October 27th, 2004 at 10:31 am
Good Reading
Digby does a good job of explaining why the Bush administration shouldn’t be trusted on the flu vaccine issue, reminding fellow citizens that back in the day, Cheney advocated universal anthrax innoculations but was stopped by the outcry from the…