The UN Should Not Run Iraq
Let's see, I remember that just a couple of weeks ago, the United Nations was screaming to keep Saddam Hussein in power, now we want them to run the very country that they would rather see repressed? Don't get me wrong, I think that the UN should have a role in post-war Iraq, a humanitarian role. They can send food and healthcare to the citizens of Iraq. That corresponds with the purpose of the United Nations. If the UN actually supported taking Saddam out, and sacreficed in the effort, I would feel much differently, but because of their past behavior, I do not trust them to put in a brutal dictator just like their beloved Saddam Hussein. I don't trust the United States completely either. I do trust them more then the UN to take the right innitial steps and provide administrative assistance. The people who should rebuild Iraq are the Iraqi people. They even have most of the resources they need to do it with (gasp) the oil. At present, the Iraqi people trust the US much more then the UN. It wasn't the UN who liberated them from the repression of Saddam Hussein, in fact it was the UN who tried to prevent that from happening. If this post-war rebuilding does not succeed, free-world will be fucked forever. If it succeeds, it could start a wave of freedom in the middle east a kin to what happened at the end of the cold war in eastern europe. This is too important for the UN to run, and frankly, I see no reason to trust them. Who is to say that Kofi Annan won't steal the Iraqi oil money and use it the same way he uses the money from the rest of the international community - to benefit his friends in higher position ( I have no evidence of this, but that is the same amount of evidence you have for accusing Bush of the same deed). The countries who sacrificed, instead of dragging their feet, have much more of an interest in a successful, democratic post-war Iraq. They even have a much more impressive record of helping rebuild countries than the United Nations itself (US: all of Western Europe, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Eastern Europe; UN: Bosnia). Let those who started the job, finish it. France doesn't exactly have a great record installing regimes. Just look at nearly every country in Africa.
Finally, there are thousands of US troops still in Afghanistan, as well as troops from many different nations. Billions of dollars are still pouring into the country every year. We did not go into Afghanistan when it was a unified country, and we are still far from finished there. The bullshit tag-line that we fucked up and abandoned Afghanistan is a malarkey and everyone who follows any sort of international politics closely knows it. To say that there is no roads have been built, and no steps towards democracy taken is a pack of lies. I wonder where the men who clubbed women showing some ankle went...
Finally, there are thousands of US troops still in Afghanistan, as well as troops from many different nations. Billions of dollars are still pouring into the country every year. We did not go into Afghanistan when it was a unified country, and we are still far from finished there. The bullshit tag-line that we fucked up and abandoned Afghanistan is a malarkey and everyone who follows any sort of international politics closely knows it. To say that there is no roads have been built, and no steps towards democracy taken is a pack of lies. I wonder where the men who clubbed women showing some ankle went...