Saturday, August 16, 2003
Bad news for Dubya, those Iraqi trailers weren't being used to make biological weapons. If this report is true, is the US going to set up a Camp X-Ray every time it goes to war in another country? Meanwhile, U.S. Abandons Idea of Bigger U.N. Role in Iraq Occupation. Choice quotes? Certainly:
The Bush administration has been reluctant to give the United Nations more than minimal authority in the reconstruction of Iraq. Many administration members say that France, Germany, Russia and other countries demanding such a role are actually doing so to try to get more contracts and economic benefits for themselves.
For shame European countries! Why could you not follow the US's example of being involved purely to help the Iraqi people, where it's pure coincidence that all of the contracts for the restoration of Iraq were only tendered to US companies, most of which are connected in some way with someone who is one of Dubya's cronies.
The Pentagon said today that besides the United States and Britain, the other countries that have already sent troops to Iraq are Albania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine. The troops in Iraq serve under American and British command, and so would the troops of any other countries that took part.
In addition, another dozen countries have been asked to help with forces to protect and carry out relief. They include Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Portugal and Thailand.
So truly a coalition of the great and the good. I can't help but wonder if Dubya and Rummy have decided the best way to get their troops out of Iraq so they stop complaining is to replace them with the troops from other countries but still have 'tactical command' over them (or some such meaningless phrase). That way, American popular opinion may not care much if the bodybags going home are actually going home to a different country.
The Bush administration has been reluctant to give the United Nations more than minimal authority in the reconstruction of Iraq. Many administration members say that France, Germany, Russia and other countries demanding such a role are actually doing so to try to get more contracts and economic benefits for themselves.
For shame European countries! Why could you not follow the US's example of being involved purely to help the Iraqi people, where it's pure coincidence that all of the contracts for the restoration of Iraq were only tendered to US companies, most of which are connected in some way with someone who is one of Dubya's cronies.
The Pentagon said today that besides the United States and Britain, the other countries that have already sent troops to Iraq are Albania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine. The troops in Iraq serve under American and British command, and so would the troops of any other countries that took part.
In addition, another dozen countries have been asked to help with forces to protect and carry out relief. They include Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Portugal and Thailand.
So truly a coalition of the great and the good. I can't help but wonder if Dubya and Rummy have decided the best way to get their troops out of Iraq so they stop complaining is to replace them with the troops from other countries but still have 'tactical command' over them (or some such meaningless phrase). That way, American popular opinion may not care much if the bodybags going home are actually going home to a different country.
