UN authority over Iraqi reconstruction
Rabbitte argued that the UN should lead Iraq’s reconstruction and asked what a UN role “in partnership” with the US and UK meant. The Taoiseach said the Security Council would mandate any post-conflict UN role; the UN envoy was already handling humanitarian coordination.
The United States and the United Kingdom are members of the UN. Therefore the issue is, what does President Bush mean when he says that there will be a vital role for the UN? What does "the UN in partnership with the US and the UK" mean? They are either members of it or not. Having regard to the damage done to the world order by this war and having regard to the hostility in the region to the United States, surely the United Nations is the appropriate body to head up the reconstruction of Iraq?
Did the Taoiseach bring to the attention of the President of the United State the concern about the targeting of a hotel where journalists were reporting the war? Three journalists were killed yesterday, bringing the number of journalists killed to 12 in all. Yesterday a US general said that if journalists wanted to be protected they could be embedded. Did the Taoiseach protest to the President of the United States about journalists being targeted in this war?
Who will deliver the food programme? Who will deliver the medicines to the hospitals? Through which agencies will they be distributed? If the supposed excuse for the launching of this war was the threat of weapons of mass destruc tion, did the President of the United States give the Taoiseach any reason to believe that such weapons have been uncovered?
Comment on this
On the procedural point, the Secretary General has stated to me that it will be the Security Council that will mandate a UN role post-conflict. He is proceeding in co-operation with the two gentlemen. The envoy, Mr. da Silva, is working on the humanitarian issue. The resolution that applies in that regard is Resolution 1472. Therefore that aspect of it is already being dealt with. The German chairmanship brought that through last Friday week.
On the other aspect, there is no resolution yet. The purpose of the meetings Kofi Annan is having with the regions – he met the regional leaders last week and on Monday he met, in private session, his own people just after I was talking to him – is to bring his position around. Presumably that will lead to a Security Council resolution, but that has not happened yet and, I presume, will not happen until after his meetings – he intends to go to Moscow, Paris, London and other venues today, tomorrow and Friday.
I stressed the concern of the Irish people, and I stated it the last time I was at an EU meeting. I expressed the same view about the civilian casualties and the targeting of areas where there did not seem to be a military presence. I made that point and, as I said earlier, the President said that they had been endeavouring to take care of civilian targets. Obviously that is not a view people would share when they see some of the incidents that have happened.
Deputy Rabbitte also asked about weapons of mass destruction. There are a number of ongoing examinations into products that have been found. I did not get a definitive answer that they had been proved to be weapons of mass destruction.
Comment on this
Deputy Joe Higgins, are you taking Leaders' Questions for the Technical Group? It appears you are.