A Pragmatic Vision for Iraq: Senator John Kerry Offers a Contrasting Approach

Strategic Insights -

Senator John Kerry, a potential presidential challenger, has chosen not to engage in point-scoring sound bites on the anniversary of President Bush's "mission accomplished" stunt in Iraq. Instead, Kerry has offered pragmatic ideas for rescuing American policy in Iraq from the deteriorating military and political situation. His proposals for broader international oversight of Iraq's prospective interim government and direct involvement of NATO in peacekeeping operations represent a significant contrast to President Bush's approach.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator Kerry advocates for broader international oversight of Iraq's prospective interim government, which could generate real support for nation-building in Iraq.
  • Kerry proposes designating an international high commissioner for Iraq, whose office would be outside the patronage-driven U.N. personnel system, to create safeguards against corruption.
  • The Kerry proposal draws on the successful international oversight pattern in Bosnia, which elicited far wider international cooperation and has served as a model for his ideas.
  • Senator Kerry suggests that the NATO alliance be directly involved in Iraqi peacekeeping operations, which would help make NATO more relevant to the post-cold-war world and ease the burden on America's military.
  • Kerry's proposal for a high commissioner for Iraq is designed to permit the recruitment of a capable staff and prevent the kind of wholesale corruption that plagued the oil-for-food program in Iraq.
  • The Bush administration's approach to a controlled transition in Iraq is "unworkable and out of touch with reality" as the news of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal continues to undermine Iraqi faith in Washington's intentions.

Statistics:

  • The U.N.'s oil-for-food program in Iraq was affected by widespread corruption, with allegations of wholesale corruption that Kerry's proposal aims to prevent.
  • Bosnia's transition has worked out better than Iraq's, eliciting far wider international cooperation and serving as a model for Kerry's ideas.
  • NATO helps make NATO more relevant to the post-cold-war world by participating directly in Iraqi peacekeeping operations, as suggested by Kerry.

Sources:

  • "The New York Times"
  • "The Washington Post"
  • "The Wall Street Journal"