How G-8 may unify around Iraq

[CShine]

High diplomacy will mix with Spanish moss, grits, and Southern hospitality this week when the world's eight economic and political powerhouses meet in Sea Island, Ga., to discuss everything from democracy in the Middle East to the price of a liter of gasoline in the south of France. But probably the biggest topic will be Iraq. The US and its European allies are very close to agreeing on a UN resolution that would both allow US forces to remain in the country and give the interim Iraqi government some authority over major military actions. Such a resolution, many hope, will encourage more countries to take another key step: providing financial aid to Iraq - perhaps starting at this summit. If the US and Europe, particularly France, move closer toward resolving their differences at Sea Island, it would help heal the wounds created by the war last year.

"This is the most critical summit in a long time," says Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International. "This is an opportunity to heal some old wounds and get more of a consensus on Iraq assistance."

The progress on the United Nations resolution has come so quickly, in fact, that it might change the agenda for the summit. Last week in an advance Group of Eight briefing for the press, Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, didn't even mention Iraq. The summit, the White House said, would have three main themes: security, freedom, and prosperity. Now with the resolution moving forward, says Mr. Hormats, who is a former member of the National Security Council, the United States will try to get everyone to agree on more foreign assistance and debt restructuring for Iraq.

Compared with last year, it could practically be a love fest. At the G-8 in Évian, France, last year, personal contact between President Bush, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and French President Jacques Chirac was minimal in the wake of the Iraq invasion. "The Évian summit was successful in bringing all the leaders back on to speaking terms, but the wounds over Iraq were too fresh to permit any substantive joint action," writes Nicholas Bayne, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science on the website G8 Online 2004.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0608/p01s03-wogi.html

[PartyPooper]

1. All of these leaders should have shown solidarity and boycotted the G8.

Most of them are such lying hypocrites!

:grr:

[loudsue]

2. That's true, PartyPooper...however...

I wouldn't count on bush being as successful as he might hope to be with this, no matter what kind of smiley-faces we see at the G8 Summit. Bush just finished insulting France (and God knows WHO else) during his trip to Europe this week.

I'd say, let's just wait until we see the signatures on the paper.

:kick::kick:

[Gloria]

3. Heard a U.N. official in Iraq say on the BBC World Service yesterday

that he was afraid the U.N. would wind up endorsing an "illegitimate government" ....he was very afraid of this happening.

[Wonk]

4. This year's G8 is a very big deal. nt

[Don_G]

5. Dimbo Has Sole Control Of Iraqi Money

He doesn't want to let that go.

He has another problem he's not aware of yet: sales of American goods in foreign markets has dropped due to the Iraq War. People overseas don't want to buy goods and thus support an aggressor nation.

[dbt]

6. Quick progress on a UN resolution, my shiny metal ass!

The US had to give in to demands by France and Russia or this little confab in Georgia would have had a 12-ton boulder in the road.

And speaking of France, WTF? Just a YEAR ago, the French were "cheese eating surrender monkeys." ACTUAL US DOLLARS were spent to reprint Congressional menus to reflect the fact that french fries were now FREEDOM FRIES! Gallons of French wine were poured down sewers by Proud Murkins who stood with their Preznit in opposing anything FRENCH cause them Gawdless Fr*gs wouldn't support the War To Make Dick Cheney Rich.

While we're at it, what's all this talk about a UN RESOLUTION? Just a YEAR ago, we didn't need no steenkin' UN RESOLUTION. The UN was IRRELEVANT for Chrissakes!

As the Great Toad Idol is so fond of croaking into his microphone every day, "You can't have it both ways."

Fuck bu$h. Now more than ever.

:evilgrin:
dbt

PS:
FUCK REAGAN too. Every day this week!