BRIAR PATCHED:

Bush switches signals on Iraq (Roland Flamini, 9/4/2003, UPI)

Predictably, European commentators reacted to the Bush administration's decision to enlist U.N. help in Iraq with somewhat smug satisfaction. The dominant sentiment was that U.S. insistence on managing Iraq's reconstruction on its own had come home to roost.

Despite White House statements to the contrary, in Europe this was seen as an outright reversal of Washington's much vaunted go-it-alone policy. "Bush has second thoughts," said the leading Rome daily La Repubblica. "Now the United States in Iraq needs the United Nations. The (Bush) administration is in the process of surrendering."

Le Monde, the leading French newspaper, commented, "The project to enlarge the U.N. mandate contrasts with Washington's previous approach (to Iraq)."

The Left has had a field day trying to pick apart the Administration's rationale for war, so it seems like turnabout is only fair play. The most widely recognized problem with ignoring the UN and going it alone in Iraq was that we might get stuck with the entire task and whole bill for rebuilding the country afterwards. Had President Bush asked for help after the war the opponents of the war--Kofi Annan, China, Russia, France, Germany--would almost certainly have scoffed and refused. Today they consider it a victory that they're going to replace us in the quagmire. And Br'er Bush just keeps hoppin' along....

Posted by orrinj at September 4, 2003 1:16 PM