February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The United States Embassy in Dublin relayed the request to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Ireland, along with other friendly capitals in the EU, have been asked to contribute forces,” an Irish diplomat confirmed this week.
The request is now on the table, but like other European and Asian countries considering such requests, Ireland will require a mandate from the United Nations in order to contribute forces.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage told reporters last week that the administration is exploring the idea of allowing a UN-mandated multinational force in Iraq that would operate under the command of a U.S. general.
France and Germany have offered initial positive reactions for such a force, if the UN Security Council agrees to a new resolution mandating such support.
The Bush administration, as it struggles to pay what is amounting to billions of dollars in an effort to control Iraq, is internally conflicted over ceding any control over the military, political and economic issues to the United Nations. Secretary of State Colin Powell has made a public appeal at the UN for help. The Pentagon maintains the U.S. and its current coalition partners have adequate assistance.
Britain has been urging the administration to get the United Nations more involved.
“In order to get more boots on the ground, they are going to have to have the UN play a role,” a British diplomat said.
Said White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan: “This is an international issue. The world will be better off if Iraq is free and democratic, and terrorism is an international enemy, so we’ve been pursuing this on an international level, and as a broad coalition.”
So while President Bush and Congress return to Washington from vacation, U.S. diplomats work to craft language soliciting stronger international support from the United Nations for the rebuilding and security of Iraq.
That could prove a tall order since Iraq has seemed anything but a secure place. Close to 70 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action since President Bush declared major combat over on May 1.
“If a further [UN] resolution broadens control, then we will look at it again,” the Irish diplomat said.