Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=03/28/2003

TYPE=ON THE LINE SHORT #1

NUMBER=1-01303

TITLE=THE FUTURE OF THE U-N

INTERNET=Yes

EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY 619-0038

CONTENT= INSERTS IN DALET AND AUDIO SERVICES

THEME: UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE

Host: This is On the Line, and I'm -------------. President George W. Bush challenged the United Nations to enforce a dozen years' worth of resolutions on Iraq. The U-N Security Council unanimously passed resolution 1441, giving the regime of Saddam Hussein one final chance to destroy its weapons of mass destruction. When Iraq failed to cooperate, the U-N failed to act. As a result, the United States, Britain, and Spain are now leading a coalition of more than forty nations to disarm Iraq.

Nancy Soderberg is vice president of the International Crisis Group and a former representative to the United Nations. She says that the U-S can't ignore the U-N, and will want the world organization to have a role in post-war Iraq:

Sodeerberg: the U-N is absolutely going to be asked to go into Iraq. I don't think it's going to be doing the security, but when you get into trying to manage the transition, hold elections and try and ensure a long-term stability, there's no doubt that the U-N is going to be front and center once the situation stabilizes following the war.

Host: Radek Sikorski is director of the New Atlantic Initiative at the American Enterprise Institute. He says that a U-N role in governing Iraq could interfere with a transition to democracy:

Sikorski: I'm not sure we need a U-N role. I think it's rather up to the Iraqi people how they want to govern themselves. I think there will be some kind of transitional military authority and then possibly the kind of process that we've seen in Afghanistan.

Host: Nancy Soderberg says that although the United Nations is still relevant, it is limited in what it can accomplish:

Soderberg: It is member states who need to resolve their differences and while the U-N can help sort of negotiate crises, it tends to be states that do it and then the U-N comes in beyond that. [U-N Secretary General] Kofi Annan doesn't have an army to enforce things. It's up to the parties to the conflict to reach an agreement and the U-N can facilitate that.

Host: The United Nations Security Council has voted to send humanitarian relief to Iraq, and the U-S-led coalition is getting those supplies to civilians in Iraq. For On the Line, I'm ---------.