Jack Straw defends US control in Iraq
Jack Straw has backed the USA’s control of operations in Iraq on a trip to New York.
The Foreign Secretary flew to New York yesterday, to talk with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other officials about the ongoing reconstruction of Iraq, but made clear that the USA will stay in charge for the time being.
Mr Straw is involved in talks at the UN about establishing a new mandate in Iraq, though he claimed that ‘effective’ military operations could only be run through USA control.
Efforts are underway to boost the contribution of other countries to the ongoing military presence in Iraq, though some countries are unwilling to join the operations while the USA and the UK lead operations instead of the United Nations.
France and Germany opposed the war and continue to refuse co-operation until the UN is mandated in Iraq, while several Muslim countries have suggested they would send troops to help rebuild Iraq under a UN banner.
Despite some countries maintaining their distance, the forces in Iraq have become increasingly international since the end of the war.
Along with more than 100,000 troops from the USA, and 11,000 from the UK, there are now 12,000 troops from dozens of other countries.
There has also been some success in establishing local forces to allow local people greater involvement in their own security. 30,000 Iraqis are now working as police officers, security guards and in border control.
While the Security Council is likely to remain divided on the issue of overall control, American Secretary of State Colin Powell hinted that the wording of a new resolution could ease the way for more countries to volunteer assistance.
However, the recent bombing of a UN building in Iraq which killed 24 people has already lead to concerns in some countries who are reported to be delaying to their deployment in response to security fears.
The UK is to take over the presidency of the Security Council in September, and it will use this position to continue to press for co-operation on the rebuilding of Iraq, which Mr Straw claims is making progress beneath the surface, with children returning to school and some infrastructure up and running.
