[SOC] Post-war Iraq

[Bill Cunningham]

>
> The media is reporting that both France and Germany are saying that they
> want to have a major role in post-war Iraq.  My question is, how should
the
> nations of the coalition respond to this?
>

Let UN do humanitarian work and let the coalition (with addition of selected
external advice from regional stakeholders) set up a new government , but
specifically without the help of France and Germany.  UN does pretty well at
humanitarian aid and has earned the right to be ignored in business of
restoring order and a new government.  France and Germany "have a dog in the
fight" in terms or restoring oil contracts or payments for sales to Saddam
against future oil production.  To they are hopelessly biased, quite
independent of the desire to tell them where to go.  Best answer is to get
an Iraqi government up and functioning as fast as possible, getting both the
UN and coalition out of their way.