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Journalism of Courage
The United States has asked more than a dozen countries—including India, Pakistan and France—to join a new international military force to protect the United Nations in Iraq. This may be critical to persuading the world body to return there after two massive suicide attacks against its Baghdad headquarters last year, State Department officials said.
Incidentally, France, which led opposition to the war in Iraq, as well as India, Pakistan and other nations had been reluctant to join the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq.
The list includes ‘‘a good global mix’’, said a State Department official familiar with the proposed force. But no Arab countries or neighbours of Iraq are on the list, with Turkey notably absent. The new force is considered essential to the fragile political transition because the Bush administration is relying on the United Nations to return to Iraq to help organise elections after the occupation ends on June 30. The administration, aware that it is unlikely to secure more troops from the 33 countries already in Iraq, is defining the new mandate as exclusively for UN protection and distinct from the current coalition’s military goal of stabilising postwar Iraq, US officials said. But the new force would technically come under the broader coalition umbrella and coordinate on security, especially if there are attacks or unrest after June 30.
The initial approaches were made by US embassies in the capitals of the countries. Some have made ‘‘favourable noises’’, while others have asked for time to ‘‘do some homework’’, the State Department official said. ‘‘For the most part, no one has slammed the door in our face.’’ But France cautioned the US that it is too early to take a position, since the United Nations has not yet determined its future role in Iraq. LAT-WP
