From this BBC news report on the possible commencement of operations against Fallujah:
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has warned Iraq, the US and UK that an assault on Falluja could alienate ordinary Iraqis and disrupt the planned elections,
The BBC’s Susannah Price at the UN says US officials were outraged by Mr Annan’s letter, which highlights the divisions over the way to achieve peace in Iraq.
Mr Allawi said the letter, which he received a few days ago, was “very unclear”. He said Mr Annan did not present a plan as to what to do, nor was it clear what the UN could do to stop insurgents attacking.
Well I’m outraged but is anyone really that surprised?
It’s EXTRAORDINARILY arrogant to presume that of all people Kofi Annan knows what the hell the Iraqi people want (he’s not exactly lauded amongst Iraqi bloggers), especially ahead of a man who has massive support amongst a vast cross section of the Iraqi populous. In addition, what Mr Annan is advocating is nothing more or less than appeasement and inaction in the face of terrorism.
He hasn’t said what else ought to be done, merely that he disdains the use of force against the terrorists in Fallujah. There have clearly been weeks of talks between both sides and the time for talking has run out. The man is practically a caricature of the UN itself, being utterly unwilling to take steps beyond the farce that passes for proactive diplomacy. Terrorists don’t listen to chit chat (neither do fascist dictators but that generally doesn’t prompt the UN to move beyond such pleasantries), the Iraqi interim government were right to try dialogue but the time has come to put an end to it, acknowledging that it has achieved and will continue to achieve nothing.
More than anything, the letter sounds desperate. Annan has clearly been dealt a blow by the election of a president who does not consider the security of his nation to be subservient to the United Nations (arguably John Kerry didn’t either but he failed to make a convincing case of it) and he is desperately flailing to appear relevant. This letter was absolute folly as, after the crushing of terrorist forces in Fallujah Iraq will most likely be well on its way to democratic elections because of the use of force. If things go the way they look to be going, Annan’s letter will appear at best short sighted at worst worryingly deluded and comprehensively weak in the face of terrorism.
The UN has already hemorrhaged so much integrity these past 2 years that I’m surprised Kofi has any left to stake.
Later
John
Posted by John Swaine at November 5, 2004 06:48 PM | TrackBack