Saudi plan for Muslim forces is rejected
Iraqi government officials and commanders of the U.S.-led military coalition killed a proposal by Saudi Arabia for a Muslim peacekeeping force in Iraq, the White House said yesterday, citing concerns over who would be in charge.
Responding to reports in two newspapers, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the government in Baghdad had “some real concerns” about having troops from a neighboring country inside Iraq.
Well, duh!
…Newsday and the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that President Bush rebuffed what the newspapers called a plan that would have helped the United Nations organize elections in Iraq.
Attributing the account to unidentified Saudi and Iraqi officials, Newsday said Crown Prince Abdullah and other Saudi leaders had lobbied Mr. Bush to approve the plan for a force of several hundred troops from Arab and Muslim countries to protect U.N. officials in Iraq.
The prince discussed the idea with Mr. Bush in a 10-minute telephone conversation on July 18 after meeting with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Newsday said.
The force would have been controlled by the United Nations instead of U.S. commanders. The initiative died last month despite acceptance by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, because the Muslim and Arab countries refused to work under U.S. command, Newsday said.
Of course they wouldn’t work under US command. The US isn’t on the same side. Under UN command they could help the jihadis and Ba’athists.
Why not? After all they would be Saudi Wahabbists!
Talk about putting a Muslim asps at your breast. No wonder this is a non-starter, not to mention one really STUPID idea.
From all I can tell, Prince Abdulla is NOT a stupid person. I wonder where this idea truly came from?
Comment by Bill Ewing — 19 Oct, 2004 @ 12:06
I wonder how the Saudis like knowing that we’re on to them, and are no longer willing to wave away their brutalities for the sake of cheap oil.
Comment by Francis W. Porretto — 19 Oct, 2004 @ 17:34
Bill, you’ve got a good point. I don’t think that Prince Abdullah is that stupid either. My best guess is that he was pressured to try it (some of the other Saudis probably are that stupid or think the State Dept – aka Fifth Column – might intervene.)
Francis, I suspect they don’t like it at all.
Comment by Kathy K — 19 Oct, 2004 @ 18:10