Tony Blair and the US president, George Bush, have once more failed to clarify the UN’s role in a post-Saddam Iraq, in their third meeting in less than three weeks.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Hillsborough castle in Northern Ireland, the two men were pressed repeatedly on what a ”vital role” for the United Nations may mean.
Bush defined it both as ”food, medicine, aid, contributions” and ”helping the interim government stand up until the real government shows up”.
Blair intervened to say that the ”important thing is to not get into some battle over a word here or there, but for the international community to come together … rather than endless diplomatic wrangles.”
But, taking only four questions in a 25-minute press briefing, Mr Bush warned: ”When we say a vital role for the UN we mean a vital role.”
Taking on his critics on this side of the Atlantic, he told reporters: ”There’s evidently some scepticism in Europe that I mean what I say. Saddam Hussein now knows that I mean what I say.”
The Hillsborough summit follows those in the Azores and at Camp David. Despite the setting, however, the Northern Ireland peace process only got a small look-in at the press conference, with most questions focusing on Iraq.
With no mention of his father’s role in the 1991 Gulf conlict, Bush said the Iraqi people ”were hammered in the past” when they tried to rise up against Saddam Hussein.
On alleged weapons of mass destruction, Blair promised: ”We know the regime has them, and as the regime collapses, we will be led to them.”
However, it was left to Bush to announce that the prime minister and the taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, would later this week publish a peace plan outlining the ”final steps” of the five-year-old Good Friday agreement.
Bush unexpectedly pledged to put as much energy into the Middle East peace process as Blair had done into Northern Ireland. Meanwhile the prime minister announced that the US ”roadmap” would be published on the ”foundation” of the Palestinian prime minister, Abu Mazen’s, cabinet.
Both men argued the case for using the Northern Ireland process as a template for peace in the Middle East.
But in what was billed as a ”war and peace” summit between the two coalition leaders – watched from the sidelines by both Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice – few concrete new positions were elucidated.
The phrase ”vital role” was used at least six times by the two leaders, with little definition, even when questioned specifically by a US reporter.
”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.
”We welcome the effort of UN agencies and non-governmental organisations in providing immediate assistance to the people of Iraq. As we stated in the Azores, we plan to seek the adoption of new United Nations security council resolution that would affirm Iraq’s territorial integrity, ensure rapid delivery of humanitarian relief and endorse an appropriate post-conflict administration for Iraq.”
Bush said he did not know whether today’s bombing raid on a suburban Baghdad house had killed the Iraqi leader, but he said that the president’s ”grip on the throat” of Iraq was loosening.
He said: ”I can’t tell you if all 10 fingers are off the throat but finger by finger they are coming off.” – Guardian Unlimited Â