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Khalilzad: Expand U.N. Operations in Iraq
The United Nations should expand its operations in Iraq, through internal reconciliation efforts and by involving Baghdad's neighbors, according to U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Khalilzad, who has had two tours of duty as the U.S. representative in Iraq, said the country needed international help, regardless of whether one agreed with the U.S.-led invasion or not. But he was vague on the details, saying U.N. members, especially those with seats in the Security Council had to be consulted first. Most council nations had strongly opposed the war and many U.N. officials are wary of fielding more staff in the country where the world body had 23 of its top people killed in a bomb blast at its Baghdad headquarters in August 2003.
Story Continues Below "I believe that (what) is happening in Iraq is important for the world," Khalilzad said. "The world may disagree with us . . . but right now I believe that the future of Iraq will affect the Middle East." There are "reconciliation issues and policies of the neighbors where the U.N. can play an important role, bridging internally and also facilitating cooperation among neighbors," he said. "I believe there is room for a lot more to do for the U.N.," Khalilzad said. "What I am saying is there is room for an enhanced role." He said serious discussions had not begun yet "but the idea is out there" and more details would emerge before the mandate of the small U.N. political operation in Iraq would expire in August. Khalilzad said he also expected Ashraf Qazi of Pakistan, the top U.N. envoy in Iraq to leave his post this summer after three years in the job. While former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the war "illegal" because it was not authorized by any U.N. body, his successor, Ban Ki-moon, has not spoken about the U.S.-led invasion. Ban recently conducted a conference at Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, to raise money, mainly from U.S. coalition partners, and solicit offers of billions of dollars of debt forgiveness, such as from Saudi Arabia. But the U.N.-organized International Compact with Iraq is dependent on conditions and benchmarks, including reforms aimed at giving Iraq's minority Sunnis Arabs a greater role in relation to the majority Shiites. "The U.N. can help Iraqis in that resolve," Khalilzad said. But he said he did not believe Saudi Arabia would easily write off the debt. "I don't think the Saudis would forgive debt without progress," he said. "I think it is unlikely for them to do it unless there is progress on internal issues," he added.
© Reuters 2007.
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Iraq Inside Cover Stories
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