DIPLOMATIC WAR

Having thoroughly botched an opportunity for true international cooperation in ridding the world of Saddam Hussein, as the Americans, British and Australians are now doing with force, prominent members of the United Nations have a second chance to rebuild relations while rebuilding Iraq. Instead, they’re botching it again.

The first time through this exercise, blame could be spread among many – the United States, France, Germany, Russia all helped turn a diplomatic puzzle into a needless standoff. This time, though, the United States and Britain, which have different views on the U.N.’s role in post-war Iraq, are working hard to find a solution with the Iraqis; they are properly looking for agreement and avoiding diplomatic ultimatums.

France, however, is still bloviating about what it will or won’t accept. President Jacques Chirac yesterday asserted that rebuilding the country “is a matter for the United Nations and for it alone.” How unhelpful. And Russia quickly set up a summit for this weekend to discuss how best to govern Iraq and invited only France and Germany. How confrontational. This is happening while the fighting continues intensely, and soldiers and civilians are dying and it is shameful.

Of course the United Nations should be the lead international body to help reconstruct Iraq. But just as certainly, it is clear that the United States and Britain, which forced the issue of Saddam Hussein before the U.N. and which are taking the largest risks now, will dominate how the reconstruction – of both buildings and government – will occur.

The joint statement read by Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair was a model of compromise given that the Bush administration would rather keep the U.N. out entirely and the Blair government wants it to have a primary role: “As the coalition proceeds with the reconstruction of Iraq, it will work with its allies, bilateral donors and with the United Nations and other international institutions. The United Nations has a vital role to play in the reconstruction of Iraq.” That role would include helping to find Iraqis to serve as a temporary authority.

Already in the cities of Umm Qasr and Basra, U.S. and British officials have been helping to establish local administrative committees to try to bring order from the current chaos. Should they have waited for the U.N. to gather and vote on these committees? The dying Sunni government, the Shiite majority and the Kurds in the North all have ideas about the future of Iraq. None are waiting for the next meeting of the Security Council.

It is not too late for Europe and the United States to begin working together. Mr. Blair has been heroic, if so far unsuccessful, in trying to find areas of agreement. The French, Russians and Germans can help by recognizing that the reality of war demands some decisions be made unilaterally by those actually fighting, and they should pledge to help bring about a successful peace, even if the U.N.’s role is not what they hoped.