When people predicted Kofi would take credit for the vote in Iraq, I remember thinking to myself, “Man not even I’m that cynical.” That was until I read today’s Washington Post. Lesson Learned:
By Kofi A. Annan
Saturday, February 12, 2005; Page A19The success of the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq has created an exciting moment of opportunity. It matters greatly that Iraq’s transition is a success. I am determined to make certain that the United Nations will play its full part in helping the Iraqi people achieve that end. …
[Ed– Welcome to the party Mr. Annan]
Even the scars left by past differences can be turned into opportunities. Precisely because the United Nations did not agree on some earlier actions in Iraq, it now has much-needed credibility with and access to Iraqi groups that must agree to join in the new political process if peace is to prevail. Now is the time for us to draw on that capital.
[Ed– We sat on our asses and did nothing to help liberate the people of Iraq and that is the exact reason we have credibility now. -OY! What tortured logic.]
No one can fail to have been moved by the Iraqis’ display of courage at the polls. The United Nations is proud of the assistance it was able to give them, both in developing the political base for elections and in the technical preparations. We helped to draft the electoral law and to form the Independent Electoral Commission, which ran the elections. A U.N. electoral team of more than 50 staff members in Baghdad, Amman and New York supported the commission. The United Nations trained the commission’s members and several hundred other electoral workers, who in turn trained thousands more, and we have advised and supported them throughout the process.
[Ed– See, it was not the US and the coalition of the willing, it was 50 UN bureaucrats who did it all.]
We can also give technical assistance to the new ministries. Many people seem to think that because, for security reasons, we have only 200 international staff members in Iraq (three-quarters of whom are guards), the United Nations is not present and active there. This is wrong, first because the United Nations has many Iraqi staffers and second because much of our work — training, advice, coordination, acting as a conduit for funds — can be done from outside the country.
[Ed– We have magic democracy building remote controls – so there! 50 people working in a country of 25 million is plenty enough to take credit for the vote!]
Let’s not pretend that it will be easy. Iraq is in a complicated region of the world, and has had a tortured recent history. It also has a diverse society, and some groups are determined to prevent a democratic outcome on any terms. But I believe that with international help, such a society can use democratic institutions to build itself a stable and prosperous future.
[Ed– I’m a Neo-con, I’m a Neo-con, I’m a Neo-con. Honest! We’ve been saying all along that democracy should come to the Iraqi people. It was all our idea.]
We have a mandate from the Security Council to take the lead in bringing that support together, and we intend to do it.
I really should have given you a keyboard alert for that last line.
This column is so bad, I’d believe that Scott Ott of Scrappleface.com wrote it. He takes credit for Iraq like it was his idea all along. Then he says the UN should lead the way. — Apparently not realizing the humor in that statement.
Note to Mr. Annan: Quit patting yourself on the back for what the United States has done and get your ass to work. There’s plenty enough heavy lifting to be done before you go taking credit for the whole thing. Actions speak louder than words.
We all appreciate your “Little Red Hen” impersonation. Now get something done and we’ll be more impressed. Until then, can you at least try to stay out the damn way?
The slimy oleaginous bastard has already taken credit for tsunami aid–there’s just no limit to the man’s shamelessness.
Why is he taking credit for an “illegal war” ? Now how about doing something about say Darfur, Iran, maybe North Korea ?
Nah, c’mon Mick–he has to wait for the big boys to do the work before he can claim credit for it.
That way, if intervention turns out to be a disaster, the creep can sit smugly on the sidelines and condemn it.
Keith, No doubt about it . Kofi’s got to go .
The most stunning display of chutzpah since… well, ever!
Is this guy for real? Seriously?
Time to clean the keyboard.
“But I believe that with international help, such a society can use democratic institutions to build itself a stable and prosperous future.”
First, quickly, “international help” doesn’t necessarily mean the UN. The US, UK, Australia, Poland, Japan, etc. are plenty enough countries helping out without requiring the “international” UN.
Second, notice the construction of the phrase “can use democratic institusions”. This is a value-free statement regarding democracy. Annan is basically saying that the UN is willing to help them out of their current and most recent problems. The only reason democracy is the tool is because of the Coalition invasion putting it their with their guns. There is nothing here that makes any judgement on the previous Iraqi government of Saddam.
Outrageous, yet entirely expected from the man who leads an organization that grants peerage to all kinds of dictators.
Time to take credit for the UN where credit is due Kofi…
1) Oil-for-Food scandal with your stupid son.
2) Atrocities in the Congo by UN Peacekeepers.
Not for things like Tsunami relief or Iraqi elections.
Until you do that, STFU asshat!!!
Credibility used an adjective for United Nations is about equal to using integrity to describe Bill Clinton. The man is either insane or a total idiot or he thinks everyone else is. The only reason I can think of for him wanting to step in now is the chance to replace the revenue lost when the oil-for-food scam ended. If you arrested everyone working for the UN, hauled them all away and burned the building down world peace would be advanced far more overnight than it has in recorded history. If you skipped the first two steps that would effectively double. If the Un truly wants to help Iraq and Iraqis they could start by refunding the $23 billion (that we know of) they helped Saddam steal.
Next thing you know Kofi is going to be taking credit for saving Social Security too!
I was about to complain that the keyboard alert was way too late until I read minnie’s post and then it put it all into complete perspective for me.
None of this makes sense. It’s insane. These people are nuts. There cannot be any other explanation. Unless, all of the money that we’ve pumped into the UN over the years has created an ‘uber’ class of diplomatic psychopaths from third world countries run by the richest of the rich in countries where they oppress the poorest of the poor and then come back to tell us how “we” are wrong while they witness starving and sometimes genocide in their own countries.
Of course, it’s all our fault.
But, we did give them the venue.
I’m hoping that Kofi and his “gang” go down in the myriad of scandals that are afoot. But, I’m too jaded to think that it could really happen in their self policed world. Unfortunately, this is too big for the blogosphere. Though, I been amazed by recent (Eason Jordan) happenings, it’s too big for us.
We’ve pissed the rest of the world off by being right so far, and now they have to kiss our Iraqi election asses.
Do we have the guts (as a government and a people) to take on these elitist scumbags on their own terms?
I sure hope so.
/rant off
Much of life can be reduced to a few pithy statements. The UN trying to jump in front of the Iraqi parade fulfills another of them.
“Sucess has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan”
Thank whatever God you worship or your luck if you do not worship a God, for the leadership we have. Our President is one of those people who is runnning on internal compass. He may make an error in judgment, but he shows no error in principle or direction.
The rest of these people are blowing in a wind created by his forward movement.
– Just as an example of one rediculous lie is that no UN election workers would go to Iraq, having all said it was too dangerous. They performed all of their expert miracles from the safety of jordon… Apparently Kofi the snake forgot it was in all the MSM accounts in his zeal to take full credit for Iraq after he and his buddy Carter tried very very hard to stall the whole process… What a scum bag….
Kofi is your typical progressive. He has no conscience. If something he has fought with all his resources for years suddenly turns out to be good and right and everyone sees it as right ; he will say he was for it all along. He and Reid and Pelosi all think the same. I remember the headlines mid Jan “Kofi says US Marines are pushing too hard for democracy”. He was for war on terror before he was against it and now he is for it?
Would somebody please tell me why liberals continue to love this institution?
I love how Kofi stuck all those weasel words in there like “helped” guess he considers hiding out in Jordan “helping.”
Good post, Paul. I was particularly impressed by Kofi’s suggestion that the UN can “act[] as a conduit for funds — . . . from outside the country.”
Righto. Let’s let the Oil-for-Food gang run the funds for rebuilding Iraq.
Perhaps their “peacekeepers” can also take charge of assuring the safety of underage Iraqi girls.
You’re right: this guy is a parody.
You’ve got to admit it’s pretty impressive. I mean 50 UN election workers do what 150,000 U. S. military folks weren’t able to. Obviously, they don’t need us at all.
It didn’t appear to met that he took credit for the whole thing. He simply stated what the U.N. accomplished.
And, I think he did a very nice job in separating the U.N. from this unfounded war. There should be nothing wrong with that.
Talk about running to the front of a moving crowd and taking credit for “leading” it!
Somebody tell me again why my tax dollars are supporting this man and this institution?
“And, I think he did a very nice job in separating the U.N. from this unfounded war”
WTF! Just how far from reality can a person be and still feed himself unaided?