Archive

          The Bush administration, in the face of mounting American casualties in Iraq in recent days, has agreed in principle to dismantle the US-sponsored governing council and replace it with a UN-backed government in Baghdad.
British prime minister Tony Blair, the most staunchest US ally, flew into Washington to throw his full weight behind the new move. He met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan here Thursday.
President Bush and Tony Blair addressing a news conference after their meeting in Washington stoutly defended the military invasion of Iraq.
They restated what they have been saying since long in their defence and declared that they would firmly stand behind the 30th June deadline for the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis.
The Bush administration had largely ignored UN urgings for giving its weapon inspectors to dig out the stockpile of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the principal US contention for attacking Iraq. WMD has not yet been found though Saddam Hossain has been captured.
The UN security council had refused to put its stamp of approval to the US plan for attacking Iraq. President Bush in rushing through his plan had said: "America does not require anyone's permission to defend itself".
President Bush's strategy to stay with the course of aggression had split the Security Council, two NATO members, Germany and France, declined to join the US-UK-led war. President Bush's appeals to beef up the strength of the coalition force met with similar response; "We will provide troops if it is under UN sponsorship". This response came even under the US threat "you are with us or against us" a major foreign policy deviation from the past.
Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed the move and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice saw nothing in the proposal that could be of concern to US. Defence Secretary Rumsfeld not very explicit in expressing his view said UN-sponsored government in Iraq could be a reality. A new government in Iraq under the aegis of the United Nations would soon be in place. There will be intense jockeying for position in the new government.
Even those who are in the present council will try to remain in the government. Everything will 'however' depend on Lakhdar Brahimi who will supervise UN operation in Iraq. Brahimi who supervised work in the post-war Afghanistan enjoys the confidence and trust of the United States and is a highly respected man in the Arab world.
The new government will supervise transfer of sovereignty to the people of Iraq by June 30, help Baghdad embrace a democratic constitution and hold the election at the end of year or next year to transfer power to the representative of the people. Washington will continue to be the most influential voice even under the new framework. Maintaining law and order and providing security to the people will be the principal task of the new government. The coalition forces may soon be joined by troops from other countries that agreed to provide troops only under the auspices of the UN. Bangladesh could as well be asked to provide troops. The election in Iraq will be under the UN supervision.
This could as well be emulated by Bangladesh to silence once the promoters and now the critics of the caretaker government. Two or three elections under UN in Bangladesh will leave no scope for the losers to complain about rigging. Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry had earlier demanded quick transfer of authority to a government under UN sponsorship. The Bush administration's sudden change of tack may well be construed as a climbdown from its earlier intractable stand on Iraq. This could upset Bush's plan for the second term in the White House.
In another significant and dramatic move, designed at deflating intense public criticism of the administration's lapses and failures to thwart the deadly 9/11 attacks, the government will announce the creation of a new post designated as director of national intelligence to oversee and coordinate the work of all the 15 intelligence agencies, including FBI and CIA, the New York Times reported.
The independent commission probing the 9/11 attacks will surely come out with the recommendations for thoroughly overhauling the intelligence agencies. The government move will be to preempt commission's proposal. The management of the 15 intelligence agencies now operating in the US will come under the supervision of the director of the national intelligence including their budgetary allocations.
The creation of the new post was recommended almost a year ago by the presidential advisory panel. It received little or no attention from of the White House.
The principal lesson, the independent commission is inclined to feel, learned from the 9/11 that under a splintered system, the 15 intelligence agencies lacked initiatives to cooperate, collaborate and share information. This gap will now be bridged. In the meantime, the members of the independent commission have been accused of partisanship. They are talking freely with the media and expressing views which are not free from prejudices.