Meanwhile, back in Afganistan...

[Ned]

Why is Afghan reconstruction a US problem and Iraq reconstruction a UN problem?

[Ned]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Strangely, the pro-war camp seems determined to let this thread sink.

Say, pro-democracy or I will say "appeasers."

[Ned]

I just took a look at the list of donors. Noticeably absent is that blowhard country west of Germany, and north of Spain that is always lecturing other countries on morals and proper behavior and that insists reconstruction of countries is a UN problem.

[gsmoove23]

France could very well make up a large part of the European Commission contribution. I was wondering why some European countries were counted twice.

Afghan recontruction is a US problem because it was an entirely US initiative which was quickly fobbed off on the UN with a miniscule contribution. Certainly the US couldn't invest any effort in building a lasting democracy in Afghanistan when it was in such a hurry to liberate Iraq.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Ned
Why is Afghan reconstruction a US problem and Iraq reconstruction a UN problem?

Your right, they are both problems of the UN.

But that's not even an excuse for the US very poor performance in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

If the NETHERLANDS can donate 33 mil, and we can spend 80 mil on Iraq....We can spend more rebuilding afghanistan.

If 10 schoolkids have an assignement to create a model of the Earth, and 9 of them dont do it, it is NO excuse for the 10th to not do it and say "They didn't do it either.....". The teacher will simply assign an F

[MarkG]

Why is Afghan reconstruction a US problem and Iraq reconstruction a UN problem?

cause we were after OBL who had attacked the US?

[Az]

'we', Marcos?

[MarkG]

Greece supports the US war on terror
after the events of 9/11 a former prime minister (who has learned over the years when to open his mouth and when not) stated: "We're all Americans"

[RGBVideo]

MarkG:
"We're all Americans"

Laz:
"We're all HIV+"

[ThePantaloonDog]

If the NETHERLANDS can donate 33 mil, and we can spend 80 mil on Iraq....We can spend more rebuilding afghanistan.

I believe thats 80 Billion dollars. With a 'B'.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Ned
I just took a look at the list of donors. Noticeably absent is that blowhard country west of Germany, and north of Spain that is always lecturing other countries on morals and proper behavior and that insists reconstruction of countries is a UN problem.

I was surprised as well, and I went to the French Foreign Ministry site to see what they had to tell about this. According to the article on Afghan reconstruction, France has promised 15,608,000 € on two years in bilateral reconstruction help. It is a miserable sum compared to the needs of a country such as Afghanistan, and it is ridiculed by the efforts of NL, but at least we take some part.
I wonder what method Markos' data uses, for them to consider France a no-donor.

[MarkG]

perhaps they are not going through the world bank?

[Ned]

Well, I for one would totally agree that the reconstruction of Afghanistan is a UN problem. The problem was not caused by the US alone, but by warfare in that country for 22 straight years. Much of the warfare was supported or incented from abroad. The victims of he warfare, though, are the people of Afghanistan. Afghanistan should be the prototype UN resonstruction effort.

[gsmoove23]

Just saying the reconstruction is a UN problem doesn't exonerate US involvement, afterall we are a significant member of the UN and the richest member.

[Ned]

gsmoove, no doubt this is true. But, if the UN took responsibility there and managed it, we could focus more on the war on terror. I don't know to what extent we have to pay off the poppy growers to keep them in the war on our side. But if the UN were in charge, they could take care of the drug problem without getting us entangled.

We could play good cop, bad cop, with the UN taking the bad cop roll.