Ex-U.N. diplomat raps Bush Richardson: World help needed in Iraq

ORONO – Former United Nations Ambassador Bill Richardson on Tuesday chided the Bush administration for its handling of postwar Iraq, and called the White House’s recent decision to assert more control over the country’s reconstruction an “admission that the Department of Defense hasn’t done its job.”

Richardson, speaking at the inaugural presentation of the Governor’s Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Maine, told the crowd that the Bush administration’s failure to secure international support in the rebuilding of Iraq had damaged U.S. foreign relations.

“America, regrettably, has not learned its lesson of multinationalism well,” Richardson, a Democrat serving his first term as governor of New Mexico, told an estimated 500 people at the Maine Center for the Arts. “Right now, America is bearing the cost, not just in dollars but international standing.”

Richardson said after his talk that the administration’s decision this week to reconfigure the chain of command in postwar Iraq by creating the White House-run Iraq Stabilization Group at least signaled an acknowledgment that current reconstruction efforts, headed by the Pentagon, were failing.

White House officials, responding to similar criticism this week, denied any attempts to wrest power from the Pentagon.

Instead, they described the reorganization as a way to “cut though red tape” as the United States increases its involvement and investment in Iraq. Congress is considering Bush’s budget request of an additional $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our efforts are accelerating in Iraq, and this is a way to focus in on those areas here in Washington, D.C., as more resources come in, so that we can do everything from Washington to support the efforts in Iraq,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday.

Establishment of the Iraq Stabilization Group comes as Bush’s approval ratings are at their lowest level since he took office, with polls showing increasing public concern about his foreign policy leadership.

Democrats, including Richardson, chairman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, have seized on the perceived weakness as the party presses to regain control of the White House.

Politics was in the air Tuesday as well, with Richardson’s appearance drawing a handful of protestors with Bush-Cheney campaign signs to the sidewalk outside the arts center.

In his talk, Richardson, also stressed the need for border states to take advantage of their locations and strengthen ties with their international neighbors.

The sentiment was echoed by Maine Gov. John Baldacci, who served with Richardson in Congress before both men became governor of their home states.

“We recognize the importance of international collaboration, international commerce and the fact that we live in a global economy,” Baldacci said, noting his administration’s efforts to expand trading ties with Canada’s Maritime Provinces.

The Governor’s Distinguished Lecture Series is a partnership between the University of Maine and the governor’s office designed to increase public awareness of international issues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.