Bush asks help rebuilding Iraq but draws cool reaction at UN
Tone is unapologetic in his call for unity
UNITED NATIONS -- President Bush told the United Nations General Assembly yesterday that the United States was right to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, and he pressed other nations for help in rebuilding war-shattered Iraq.
"No government should ignore the threat of terror, because to look the other way gives terrorists the chance to regroup and recruit and prepare," Bush said. "And all nations that fight terror, as if the lives of their own people depend on it, will earn the favorable judgment of history."
Bush's speech, less forceful than previous addresses on the subject, expressed no contrition or regret for going to war in Iraq without UN backing. But the president urged UN member nations to put aside their differences over Iraq, and he offered the UN a greater role in the postwar reconstruction.
The address was a key part of the Bush administration's effort to win approval for a new draft resolution calling for more international help in the costly and increasingly deadly task of rebuilding Iraq.
But the cool reaction from key nations showed that divisions remain on the issue here at the UN.
Before Bush spoke, Secretary General Kofi Annan delivered a sharp rebuke of unilateralism, in a not-so-veiled reference to the White House decision to go to war in Iraq without UN support. President Jacques Chirac of France followed up the president's address with another strongly worded attack on unilateralism.
"In an open world, no one can live in isolation," Chirac said. "No one can act alone in the name of all, and no one can accept the anarchy of a society without rules. Multilateralism is the key, for it ensures the participation of all in the management of world affairs."
Chirac's remarks never specifically mentioned the United States, but they underscored the difficulties the Bush administration faces as it seeks to mend relationships with allies such as France and Germany that were badly frayed by the decision to use military force to oust Hussein, without UN authorization.
Some UN members think that Washington is calling on them simply because the job of rebuilding Iraq has proven to be costlier and more difficult than US officials expected. Those nations have pushed for a faster transfer of authority from the US-led coalition to Iraqi civilians than Bush administration officials support.
"In Iraq, the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqis, who must have sole responsibility for their future, is essential for stability and reconstruction," Chirac said.
Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, called on US officials to transfer authority of some ministries to the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council.
Administration officials have said they would do so only after a constitution has been written and free elections have been held, tasks that Bush said could be run by UN officials.
"The Iraqi Governing Council, as important a step as it is for Iraq, is not an elected representative body," said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I can guarantee you that the American people, the president of the United States, [and] most of the allies who are on the ground with us are not prepared to transfer sovereignty to 25 unelected people."
Yesterday's speeches at the UN kicked off a day of toasts and meetings that belied the rift between Washington and some of its allies. Annan met privately with Bush before the president addressed the General Assembly, and the two men stood side by side for photos, talking up their goals to expand peace and freedom.
After his speech, Bush met with other heads of state, most notably Chirac.
White House communications director Dan Bartlett, said the president and Chirac had a "frank conversation" on Iraq. "They agreed to disagree," Bartlett said.
Asked at a press conference about Bush's address, Chirac said: "We have common objectives, but we also have differences of opinion. We believe, and I told President Bush, that the situation today is such that it is very difficult for the Iraqis, an old people with an ancient culture, to accept an occupation of their country."
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany refused to answer reporters' questions about his reaction to Bush's speech. Germany was one of the Bush administration's biggest opponents on the invasion of Iraq, and German-American relations sank to new lows after Schroder used his opposition to the war as the major plank in his reelection campaign last winter. Schroeder and Bush are scheduled to meet today. Bush's speech apparently did little to quell domestic political opposition to his foreign policy, as Congress debates the president's request for $87 billion to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The president wasted another opportunity to move forward and to give us details," said Senator John F. Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who is running for president. "The facts on the ground in Iraq require a concrete plan and real and immediate leadership to involve the United Nations and to provide real security in Iraq."
Senator Bob Graham of Florida, another Democrat running for president, also criticized Bush for missing an opportunity. "President Bush today decided to use his usual `do it my way or the highway' rhetoric in a speech at the United Nations to try and force other nations to comply with the demands of the United States," Graham said. "This is no way to keep friends, let alone build new friendships as we try and win the war on terror."
Bush used much of his speech to discuss Iraq and the war on terrorism. He also criticized Palestinian leadership and urged both sides in the Middle East conflict to return to peace negotiations. And the president called for ending the international sex trade of children, citing "a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable."
Asked why Bush raised the topic, Bartlett said: "That's the role of a president, a leader, to put things on the agenda that may not be getting the attention they deserve."
Globe correspondent Joe Lauria contributed to this report.
