USA Persistently Calls for Help

USA creating incentives to persuade other countries to send troops to Iraq
The presence of UN representatives in Iraq was put into question after the explosion of the UN mission in Baghdad. Although UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said several hours after the terrorist act that officials of the mission would keep on working in Iraq, still some of them are supposed to be evacuated from Iraq to Jordan. Meanwhile, the terrorist act in Baghdad that claimed lives of over 20 people has endangered the American hope to share the burden of the Iraqi occupation with other countries

Now the strength of the coalition troops and the Iraqi police is as follows: the USA - 140,000 servicemen, Great Britain - about 11,000 soldiers, other countries - about 12,000 soldiers and the Iraqi police - 32,000 people.

According to the BBC, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said after a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that Washington was working on a new variant for a UN resolution. He adds that the new resolution will encourage other countries to send their troops to Iraq. Some time ago American senators were almost unanimous when they urged the White House to more actively employ the UN resources for settlement of the Iraqi situation.

For the time being, countries which support Washington hopes to win-over are still reluctant to send their troops to Iraq - most importantly India and Pakistan. The leading European countries, France and Germany, also don't want to risk the lives of their soldiers. So, it is still mystery how the US Department of State plans to encourage these countries.

The problem concerns not only financing of peacemakers at the expense of American taxpayers. The White House would find methods to solve tise problem: it is not ruled out that the US would offer France or India some contracts for oil production and post-war restoration of Iraq as an incentive. Another problem is that many countries don't want their soldiers to be under the US command. American representatives in their turn say tat they won't let anybody else to have the military command over Iraq. Great Britain supports this position. nion. The BBC quoted Foreign Secretary Jack Straw as saying: "The US has the largest military force in the region; if we want the military operation be really effective it is Washington that should retain the command." This argument however has produced no desirable effect upon those countries which support America's hope for a new Un resolution.