Blowing smoke at the UN

Is it me, or is the latest resolution ridiculous? It has all the appearences of being a not very sly effort on the part of Bush and Blair to cover their political backsides. The timing is interesting as well, coming on the same day that Bush is to deliver a speech laying out his plans for Iraq (I can't wait to hear them). Certainly one of the items he will now point to is that the US and Britian have gone to the UN with a resolution proposing an interim government in Iraq and turning much of the reconstruction over to the UN.

See, he'll say, we've got a plan in place to work with the UN to get us out of Mess-o-potamia.

Trouble is, there is simply no way the other members on the Security Council are going to accept this; or they will accept it grudgingly, not wanting to be branded as opposition to Iraqi "sovereignty." It seems unlikely that they will they accept a UN force under the "unified command" of the US.

Reaffirms the authorization for the multinational force under unified command established under resolution 1511 (2003) and having regard to the letter referred to in preambular paragraph 10 above, decides that the multinational force shall have authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq including by preventing and deterring terrorism, so that inter alia the United Nations can fulfill its role in assisting the Iraqi people as outlined in paragraph five above and the Iraqi people can implement freely and without intimidation the timetable and program for the political process and benefit from reconstruction and rehabilitation activities...

We've lost enough of our troops, now is the time for some new targets.

Requests Member States and international and regional security organizations to contribute assistance to the multinational force, including military forces, to help meet the needs of the Iraqi people for security and stability, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, and to support the efforts of UNAM...

Oh, yeah, and help us pay for this mess, as well.

Welcomes the commitment of creditors, including those of the Paris Club, to identify ways to reduce substantially Iraq's sovereign debt, urges the international financial institutions and bilateral donors to take immediate steps to provide their full range of loans and other financial assistance to Iraq, recognizes, that the Interim Government of Iraq has the authority to conclude and implement such agreements as may be necessary in this regard and requests creditors, institutions and donors to work as a priority on these matters with the Interim Government of Iraq...

And the best line,

Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.

So George Bush, and the average US voter, can stop being "actively seized of this matter."