Secretary of State Colin Powell has given a tentative welcome to a Saudi Arabian proposal for sending Arab and Muslim troops to join peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Mr. Powell discussed the issue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, with Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
The Saudi proposal, which would involve troop contributions from Muslim states in Asia and the Middle East, but not Iraq's immediate neighbors, has been under diplomatic discussion for about two weeks, but only became known on Wednesday.
Voice of America article
The Saudi proposal, which would involve troop contributions from Muslim states in Asia and the Middle East, but not Iraq's immediate neighbors, has been under diplomatic discussion for about two weeks, but only became known on Wednesday.
I can think of at least one of Iraq's immediate neighbors who'd be well-advised to keep its troops at home and well prepared for a possible "liberation".
Although U.S. and Saudi officials have not named countries that might be asked to participate, likely candidates are understood to include -- among others -- Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Morocco, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Honestly, I shouldn't be commenting here, since I know so little about those countries and their armed forces, but I'm not going to let that stop me. Ignore it if you want, but I'm thinking those countries have some pretty volatile conditions and might actually need what troops they have at home. Perhaps we are going to offer to send some of our forces to replace the ones they have to give up.
No Arab nations are currently in the coalition, which numbers about 160,000 troops -- all but about 20,000 of whom are American.
The Bush administration has long sought to augment the force with more Muslim troops. Mr. Powell says the "basic conditions" Islamic states have set for participation have already been met. He says a sovereign Iraqi government is now up and running and there is a United Nations mandate for peacekeeping troops under Security Council resolution 15-46, approved last month.
The Bush administration has long sought to augment the force with more Muslim troops. Mr. Powell says the "basic conditions" Islamic states have set for participation have already been met. He says a sovereign Iraqi government is now up and running and there is a United Nations mandate for peacekeeping troops under Security Council resolution 15-46, approved last month.
I'm not sure that the reluctant and condition-requiring Arab nations see that Iraqi government as sovereign. But I could be wrong. And there probably is some incentive at this point for Arab nations to try to get some stability back into Iraq.
But, Lordy, I'm about ready to just put down my keyboard and find the best seat to watch the rest of the show. I know things have been just as crazy or crazier in human history, but it's always been in spots. We've got a global conflagration going on now. I think in the world of WMD that's called "critical mass".
You know that moment just before the pot boils over?
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
Update 2:15: Surprise, surprise.
An Islamist militant group threatened Thursday to attack Muslim countries that send troops to Iraq as proposed by Saudi Arabia and welcomed by the United States.
"We will not remain silent if troops are sent to Iraq by any Arab or Muslim country, especially by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and others," said the statement by the group calling itself the Islamic Tawhid Group, posted on an Islamist Web site.
...Addressing Muslim soldiers, it said: "If you are sent to Iraq do not respond and don't throw yourselves to death because our swords will be in the face of whoever cooperates with the Jews and Christians."
"We will not remain silent if troops are sent to Iraq by any Arab or Muslim country, especially by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and others," said the statement by the group calling itself the Islamic Tawhid Group, posted on an Islamist Web site.
...Addressing Muslim soldiers, it said: "If you are sent to Iraq do not respond and don't throw yourselves to death because our swords will be in the face of whoever cooperates with the Jews and Christians."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. There may be some delay before your comment is published. It all depends on how much time M has in the day. But please comment!