HILLSBOROUGH, Northern Ireland, 9 April 2003 — Iraq war allies George W. Bush and Tony Blair yesterday endorsed a “vital role” for the United Nations when fighting ends, but their plans may fall short of European desires.
The two leaders held a news conference in the 18th century castle at Hillsborough near Belfast as US forces staged an explosive show of strength in central Baghdad and tried to kill President Saddam Hussein with four huge bombs.
They hope their agreed vision of a three-stage postwar scenario will placate anti-war nations such as France, Germany and Russia, and appease widespread international suspicion of US motives in Iraq.
“We are of course agreed ... that there will be a vital role for the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq,” Blair said after holding talks with Bush.
Bush used the same words, before spelling out their vision for the two remaining stages after US and British forces take administrative control in the immediate aftermath of war. “We will move as quickly as possible to place governmental responsibilities under the control of an interim authority composed of Iraqis from both inside and outside the country,” Bush said.
“The interim authority will serve until a permanent government can be chosen by the Iraqi people,” he added. “Rebuilding of Iraq will require the support and expertise of the international community. We are committed to working with international institutions, including the United Nations, which will have a vital role to play in this task.”
When pressed on what precisely the UN role would be, however, Bush mentioned only humanitarian work, “suggesting” people to staff the interim authority and helping Iraq “progress”.
He did not spell out how much power the UN would have, an omission likely to alarm some in Europe and the Arab world. Neither did Bush elaborate on Washington’s plans to place US officials alongside Iraqis in the interim administration.
Picking up on foreign concerns, Blair pleaded with the world to avoid “endless diplomatic wrangles” over the future of Iraq like the damaging international dispute that preceded the war.
The British leader, who has stood by Bush throughout the crisis, said the world could be reassured that the “new Iraq” after the war would be run by the Iraqi people, not by Britain, the United States or the UN.
In a joint written statement, the pair pledged to seek UN Security Council resolutions to affirm Iraq’s territorial integrity, ensure aid delivery and endorse an “appropriate” post-conflict administration for Iraq.
“We welcome the appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General of a special adviser for Iraq to work with the people of Iraq and coalition representatives,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, a senior UN official warned the United States and Britain against simply dividing up Iraq after the war, saying the country was not a “treasure chest to be divvied up”.
The coalition had no rights under international law to engage in any kind of reconstruction or creation of government without the express consent of the Security Council, Undersecretary-General Shashi Tharoor told BBC Radio.
In New York Monday, UN chief Kofi Annan said that the United Nations was key to legitimizing any interim administration in Baghdad, as he unveiled a diplomatic push to rally support for a major UN role.
