Shanahan: Give the United Nations control of Iraq
Originally published in the Topeka Capital-Journal
Give the United Nations control of Iraq
By Jack Shanahan
Finally there's a presidential candidate brave enough to tell the truth about Iraq. Congratulations to Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) for his courage to publish a workable and much-needed plan intended to get the United States out of its unilateral role in Iraq.
Among other recommendations, the Kucinich plan calls for turning over control of Iraq's security, reconstruction, and oil infrastructure to the United Nations and bringing home U.S. troops as U.N. peacekeeping forces enter Iraq.
The Bush administration should have had such a plan in the works prior to our preemptive military invasion of Iraq, as part of a sound exit strategy.
But we entered Iraq without any exit strategy, much less a sound one.
Instead of internationalizing the rebuilding effort in Iraq after the president declared victory, as proposed by Kucinich, the administration has been forced to adopt a day-by-day, play-it-by-ear strategy as we sink deeper into the Iraqi morass.
The resolution passed last month by the United Nations Security Council, despite administration rhetoric to the contrary, is no help. Reading between the lines reveals a somewhat polite message: "Look George, you got yourself into this mess, and we won't stand in your way as you try to get out, but don't count on any significant help from us."
As Winston Churchill once observed to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The only thing worse than Allies is not having Allies." And what we see today is that "worse case situation" for America: We've lost our allies. The only way to get them back is to give them some real power in Iraq.
In its "Secure America Report," the Fourth Freedom Forum attributes this sad state to "the Administration (which) has pursued a bullying form of unilateral militarism which has belittled the United States, lampooned traditional allies, and offended Muslims around the globe. These actions have made Americans less secure and the world a more dangerous place."
Now news that Russia, France, and Germany, which opposed the war, will be prohibited by the United States from entering into lucrative oil contracts with Iraq underscores the unfortunate fact that President Bush still has no real intention of internationalizing the reconstruction process there.
This means we can expect more of the same as months of U.S. occupation of Iraq turn into years: Our troops continue to die as they try to bring order and security out of never-ending chaos. Contrary to what the generals and ranking politicians tell us about the high levels of troop morale, try telling that to the troops who aren't sure what they are doing in Iraq.
In addition to the loss of American lives, the administration is putting the future financial well being of the nation in jeopardy. For the year ending this past September, we rang up an eye-popping $374 plus billion deficit and the forecast for the current fiscal year is $500 billion.
For the sake of future generations of Americans, we must put a stop to this insanity. The last time I checked, we the governed accepted our governed status, but only with our consent. So, for the future security of our nation, on the issue of Iraq, the people must insist on our immediate giving of political control over that country to the United Nations.
Vice Adm. Jack Shanahan (US Navy, Ret.) commanded the U.S. Second Fleet and heads the Military Advisory Committee of www.Truemajority.org, a project of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.
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