U.S. fails to address security problem in Iraq: Hassan
U.S. fails to address security problem in Iraq: Hassan
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
The recent violence in Iraq has proven that the United States is
incapable of managing conflict in the country and needs
participation from the international community to improve the
situation, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda.
Hassan said on Monday that the U.S. authority had fully
realized their lack of capability and had asked for assistance.
"We have seen the situation deteriorate in Iraq and it shows
that the U.S. unilateral approach has failed to settle the
problem," Hassan said.
He was commenting on the worsening security situation in Iraq
punctuating in a bomb attack last Friday that killed more than
100 people. This is so despite Bush's declaration on May 1 that
the war between U.S.-led coalition troops with Saddam Hussein's
had ended.
The presence of the coalition forces -- the U.S., Britain and
Australia -- has failed to ensure the safety of the Iraqis,
following a series of bomb attacks in the past few weeks.
These attacks had claimed the lives of United Nations special
envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah
Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim.
Earlier last week, America's top military man in Iraq Gen.
John Abizaid said that Iraq needed Muslim peacekeepers to tackle
the hit-and-run attacks plaguing the coalition force.
"The U.S. also recognized the need to include other countries
to improve the security situation in Iraq," Hassan said.
When asked whether Indonesia would participate in such a
multinational force, Hassan said that it would depend on the
status of the peacekeeping troops.
He said Indonesia would refuse to join a U.S.-proposed
multinational peacekeeping force to Iraq and that it would only
take part in such a force under the auspices of the United
Nations (UN).
"Our position is clear that we will join peacekeeping efforts
in Iraq only under the auspices of the UN," Hassan said.
"Even if the U.S-led peacekeeping troops were endorsed by the
UN Security Council, we would still not participate," the
minister said.
Hassan said that the UN Security Council was currently
discussing the possibility of endorsing a multinational
peacekeeping force led by the U.S.
"However, we will wait for the results of the discussion and
if the ongoing debate results in the establishment of a UN
peacekeeping force then we will participate," Hassan stressed.
Washington has led multinational peacekeeping forces several
times such as in Somalia and received endorsement from the UN
Security Council.
Hassan said that Indonesia had consistently rejected any form
of unilateralism.