In healthy democracies, important issues are vigorously debated and policies are adopted with the hope they will serve the best interests of a nation.
Attaining this goal presumes that leaders act responsibly and sincerely, largely putting aside politics to serve the people. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening in America with respect to the war in Iraq.
Of late, President Bush has been criticized by some who claim he has no plan for Iraq and did not foresee the difficulties we face today. I disagree wholeheartedly, but I respect those willing to provide a legitimate alternative.
People were interested in these podcasts
So far, no viable options have been offered. Instead, we are told by a presidential candidate that the solution is reaching out to the international community.
Yet no one can explain what exactly “internationalizing the conflict” means. It seems self-evident Sen. John Kerry’s suggestion we pass responsibility for Iraq’s future to the United Nations is pure folly.
The U.N. does have strengths and may have a role to play in Iraq, but we need to remember its history. Ten years ago, the organization charged with guaranteeing peace and security in the world did nothing while 800,000 Rwandans were brutally hacked to death. In Bosnia, a United Nations-led force created to protect Bosnian Muslims allowed tens of thousands of innocent civilians to be murdered.
In Kosovo, the U.N. gave Slobodan Milosevic countless deadlines to stop the killing and expulsion of Kosovar Albanians, all of which he blithely ignored. And, of course, there were the 17 Security Council resolutions feebly calling upon Saddam Hussein to disarm as he continued his rampage unchecked resulting in the murder of 400,000 Iraqis.
No one doubts the U.N.’s proficiency at issuing resolutions. Yet, few rely upon its resolve for their safety. The United Nations lacks the moral authority to confer international legitimacy given its record of inaction when faced with unspeakable atrocities. Nevertheless, this is the organization to which Mr. Kerry would entrust the stability of the Middle East and the safety of Iraq’s people.
The United Nations already failed as supervisor of the Oil for Food Program, intended to alleviate the Iraqi people’s suffering. The U.N. permitted Saddam Hussein to manipulate a program allowing illegal oil shipments, kickbacks and surcharges. Perversely, this corruption not only bolstered Saddam’s regime with billions of dollars in hard currency, but it also lined the pockets of some U.N. bureaucrats and their cronies.
The Oil for Food fraud is not just a financial impropriety. This scandal illustrates the problems endemic in the United Nations today. The corruption and abuse of the Oil for Food Program may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of innocent Iraqis and it calls into question the very integrity of the U.N.
When news of widespread corruption first surfaced, Secretary General Kofi Annan denied the charges and refused to investigate the program. Fortunately, Mr. Annan eventually yielded to international pressure and is supporting an internal investigation. However, the panel lacks sufficient independence to address this matter. We must insist that any entity suspected of illegally profiting from the program provide a complete accounting of its actions so the world knows the full truth behind the Oil for Food Program.
The debacle should serve as a warning to those who would rely on the United Nations as a subcontractor for our foreign policy. The U.N. has debilitating limitations that risk undermining the interests of not only America, but also Iraq.
To some, the weight of America’s global duty may seem too much to bear. At the surface, internationalizing the conflict may be a way to lessen our burden and reduce our commitments abroad. Defending our values, as well as peace and security in the world, defies quick fixes. The answer is not to abdicate our responsibilities, but to embrace them.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair put it eloquently when he addressed the Congress last summer. “I know it is hard on America. And in some small corner of this vast country out in Nevada or Idaho, I know out there is a guy getting on with his life, perfectly happily, minding his own business, saying to you, the political leaders of this country, ’why me and why us and why America?’ The only answer is because destiny put you in this place in history in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do.”
The task is ours. Let us accept it, and see it through.
Gordon Smith is a Republican member of the U.S. Senate from Oregon.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.