The Hindu : U.S. War Council to take stock of campaign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 23, 2003

International

International

U.S. War Council to take stock of campaign

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington MARCH 22. Prior to leaving for Camp David on Friday, the United States President, George W. Bush, watched television footages of the massive air assault on Baghdad, the White House has said. However, nothing was said on what Mr. Bush's reaction was to the blistering attacks that have devastated large parts of the Iraqi capital.

The White House said the President watched television briefly with his Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, in a private study adjoining the Oval Office. After this, Mr. Bush left for Camp David for the weekend with his wife, Laura Bush. At the facility in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, the President has been joined by his top foreign and national security aides, now come to be formally known as the War Council. Among those in this group are the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, the National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, and the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet.

The President's agenda over the weekend will not just be focussing on the military developments in Iraq or be confined to the specifics of the air assault. There are any number of military, diplomatic and political tasks for the immediate and for the longer terms. The U.S., by many accounts, is preparing itself for the post-conflict phase in Iraq and the kind of role the United Nations would be playing.

The U.S. has said that it is for the U.N. to play a role in Iraq in the post-conflict stage, but has been emphasising that this will be limited to humanitarian and reconstruction roles. Dr. Rice is expected to travel to New York shortly to discuss with the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, the future plans on Iraq and the extent of involvement of the world body. As determined as Paris and Moscow are that the U.S. will not be allowed to "legitimise'' its course of action in Iraq at the Security Council, Washington appears to be equally adamant in insisting that those nations which were not a part of the war coalition could not expect to have a role in the political affairs in the post-conflict phase in Iraq.

`No half measures'

Earlier, in his weekly radio broadcast, Mr. Bush cautioned Americans that the military campaign could be "longer and more difficult than some have predicted'' but stressed that this campaign will not be one of "half measures''.

"A campaign on harsh terrain in a vast country could be longer and more difficult than some have predicted. And helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country will require our sustained commitment. Yet, whatever is required of us, we will carry out all the duties we have accepted'', the President said.

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