Report: Bush blocked plan for Muslim Iraq force

[JoFerret]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041018/pl_nm/iraq_un_force_dc&cid=615&ncid=1480

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States rejected a Saudi plan for an all-Muslim force to protect U.N. election staff in Iraq because the force would not have been under U.S. command, New York daily Newsday reported Monday.

Saudi Arabia announced it hoped to organize such a force last July during a visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell but several Muslim countries, including Indonesia, Egypt and Pakistan also were cool to the idea because they would serve under U.S. command, and because of the increasing violence in Iraq.

The United Nations also was uncertain whether it wanted its staff protected by a force of all one religious group rather than its usual multilateral approach, U.N. sources said.

But Newsday said Crown Prince Abdullah personally lobbied President Bush to agree to deploy a unit of several hundred troops from Muslim nations to help prepare for January elections
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[VegasWolf]

1. Guess he is waiting for the Christian one. n/t

[rkc3]

2. You'd think he wouldn't want one under US command -

that way if it failed, he could blame someone other than himself.

[Az_lefty]

3. the shrub is such an idiot.

this would have been the perfect opportunity to get Arab countries involved in Iraq. Granted this was only a few hundred troops, but at least it would have been a start.

[UpInArms]

4. every time this stupid imbecile makes a decision

it can just go in the file under "wrong headed stupid decisions" - the damn file is bursting at the seams and I'm certain that we only know the half of it.

:grr: :grr:

Washington, the newspaper said, turned down the proposal because the troops would have been under U.N. control under the Saudi plan rather than the U.S. commanders who lead the multinational force now intended to ensure security in Iraq.

The question of control "was a serious issue for the commanders of the multinational force," Newsday quoted an unnamed White House spokesman as saying.

A senior U.S. administration official in Washington blamed the Iraqi government for the plan's failure, saying it did not want troops from neighboring countries deployed inside Iraq.

and then they have the balls to "blame" everything but their own wrong headed stupidity.

:grr: :grr:

[autorank]

5. Bush never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity! n/t

[KittyWampus]

6. Newsday Has Been Better ThanThe Times Lately

this could undermine Bush greatly.

The leaks begin...