Bush back at the UN
US President George Bush urged the world to "move on" and offered no apologies for unilaterally invading Iraq in his wider war against "terror". Khaled Dawoud reports from Washington
United States President George W Bush made clear as he spoke at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday that he was not there to seek approval or offer apologies. After recalling the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington two years ago, he defended US action in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of an ongoing war against terror.
While not reiterating his infamous warning to the world after the terrorist attacks, "you are either with us or against us," Bush's tone eased only slightly. "Between these alternatives [terror and civilisation] there is no neutral ground. All governments that support terror are complicit in a war against civilisation," Bush said.
According to informed US sources, Bush, alienated by his unilateral tendencies and his "preemptive strike" doctrine that was sharply criticised by most leaders in their speeches, was not expecting a warm welcome from the UN. Failing to provide any new evidence of Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, Bush's case for a preemptive attack against the Arab country seemed even less convincing.
Without mentioning the US, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that the preemption doctrine was a threat to the world order that existed since the creation of the world body in 1945.
Annan said states that opt "to act unilaterally or in ad hoc coalitions" in response to perceived threats, represent "a fundamental challenge to the principles on which, however imperfectly, world peace and stability have rested for the last 58 years."
French President Jacques Chirac reflected a similar view. "In an open world, no one can live in isolation, no one can act alone in the name of all, and no one can accept the anarchy of a society without rules," he said. Referring to the US-led war against Iraq, Chirac added, "the United Nations has just weathered one of its most serious trials in its history: respect for the Charter, the use of force, were at the heart of the debate. The war, which was started without the authorisation of the Security Council, has shaken the multilateral system."
US hopes for approving a draft resolution it presented to the Security Council, authorising the creation of a multinational force to restore security in Iraq, were dashed as differences persisted with France over the timetable for transferring sovereignty to Iraqis.
A senior administration official, who spoke to reporters after Bush's speech and a meeting with French President Jacque Chirac, made no secret that differences exist between the two sides. "I think we're going to have to keep working on it," the official replied when asked whether the meeting resulted in narrowing the gap between the two leaders. "The president was very clear in stating again that the premature transfer of sovereignty, which has been the French proposal, is just not in the cards," the official added.
The senior official said Bush "made a very clear and strong point that the United States, which has a 140,000 troops on the ground and is asking the American people to spend $20 billion on reconstruction of Iraq, is determined that when there is a sovereignty transfer, that it's going to be done in an orderly fashion."
Reflecting US frustrations in his speech, President Bush did not ask other countries to contribute troops to a stabilisation force in Iraq, and made only a single appeal for financial assistance. After appealing to Congress for $87 billion last week in order to finance the US military occupation and reconstruction of Iraq, US officials said they were counting on international participation in the reconstruction effort. However, little seems to have developed on either fronts. Bush met with the presidents of India and Pakistan yesterday in another attempt to convince them to provide an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 strong international force which the US said was needed to enhance its effort to restore security in Iraq. US officials said they hoped Turkey, Bangladesh and South Korea would contribute troops as well. However, most of these countries said such contributions were conditional on a United Nations resolution that would give the world body a larger share in running Iraq and aiding the restoration of sovereignty to its people.
In his speech, Bush made no mention of a larger UN role, limiting its contribution to "assisting in developing a constitution, in training civil servants, and conducting free and fair elections".
France and other countries did not dispute the fact that the United States would retain military command of any multinational force in Iraq, but they sought the transfer of civilian affairs, currently run by the Coalition Provisional Authority, led by Chief Administrator Paul Bremer, to the United Nations. However, a US senior administration official regarded this approach as a non-starter.
"The resolution that we're working on with the UN has to maintain two very clear principles," the official said. "One is that there will be an orderly transfer to sovereignty. The second point is that, just like we have unity of command on the military side, we're going to have to maintain unity of direction on the reconstruction side. There is an important role for the UN to play, but the Coalition Provisional Authority has to get the job done."
In a further embarrassment to the Bush administration, several members of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council, hand-picked by Bremer and strongly backed by Washington as a legitimate replacement for the deposed Iraqi government, said they supported demands for an immediate transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis. Council member Ahmed Chalabi, known for his strong ties to the Pentagon, said he believed the newly created body could at least start sharing powers with the Coalition Provisional Authority. Chalabi, with two other Iraqi Governing Council members, represented Iraq at the UN General Assembly meeting.
US officials said they opposed Chalabi's call. "The Iraqi Governing Council, as important a step as it is for Iraq, is not an elected representative body," said the senior US official. "I can guarantee you that the American people, the president of the United States, most of the allies who are on the ground with us are not prepared to transfer sovereignty to 25 unelected people. It's just not going to happen. And I can also be very clear that the president is not going to ask the Congress to transfer $20 billion of American taxpayer's money to an unelected body of people."
Bush also used his UN speech to lash out at Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, repeating his stand that no progress could be made towards establishing a Palestinian state until Palestinians choose new leadership.
"The Palestinian cause is betrayed by leaders who cling to power by feeding old hatreds and destroying the good work of others," Bush said. "The Palestinian people deserve their own state, and they will gain that state by embracing new leaders committed to reform, to fighting terror and to building peace."
Chirac also disagreed on this matter. "One can think whatever one wants to think about Yasser Arafat. You may think well of him, you may think ill. The fact remains that he is the authority, he is the elected, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," he told reporters in a new conference after meeting Bush.
"Yasser Arafat today is the only person enjoying sufficient authority over the Palestinians to bring about an agreement that will necessarily involve sacrifices on the Palestinian side. So I think we have to be a little bit prudent in this matter," he added.
