Only One Candidate Has a Plan: UN in, US out of Iraq

[dpbrown]

Only one candidate for President has a plan to get the UN in and the US out of Iraq, to bring in UN peacekeepers and to bring our troops home.

View this new Flash animation by Eric Blumrich.

http://www.kucinich.us/animation-new.php

Fear Ends
Hope Begins
Kucinich 2004

[OpenMindedDem]

1. what country does the majority of UN Peacekeepers come from??

Good plan if it works...

[goodhue]

5. Pakistan

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/contributors/November2003Countrysummary.pdf

[goodhue]

10. has the most as of Nov 2003

but no majority

Here are leaders in descending order

Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nigeria
India
Ghana
Nepal
Uruguay
Kenya
South Africa
Jordan
Ukraine

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/contributors/November2003Countrysummary.pdf


Lots of good information about UN peacekeeping here . . .
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/home.shtml

[youngred]

6. Canada, India, Pakistan, France, US are among the leaders

so no, it won't completely end US involvement, but its a shite side better than keeping it almost solely us

[el_gato]

2. how u.s out and u.n. out!

let the iraqis take care of thier own country

wow that's a novel idea: Self Determination

that country has been suffering from efforts of outside control for a 100 years now

[Draven]

3. Great video!

Eric Blumrich has a lot of great videos out there. I like the "I Hate Republicans" one the best! :thumbsup:

PS: Kucinich is my main-man for the presidency! :thumbsup:

[goodhue]

4. cool

http://kucinich.us/dk2.html

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Nope, but the other is a republican! LOL!

this guy says he would have us out of Iraq in 90 days (and UN in):
http://johnbuchanan.org/

[wingnut]

8. The U.N. ran like scared rabbits

when attacked one time.

Sorry, but they are incompetent at 'peace keeping'.

We're stuck.

[youngred]

12. hahahhahahaha

one time the UN ran like scared rabbits.

no mention of where. no mention of when. no mention of the conditions of combat. no mention of all the succesful UN peacekeeping missions.

with that kind of reasoning we sure are stuck

[corporatewhore]

9. While i like it that DK wants to get the Us out..........

I am not so sure that putting the UN in charge is the best thing to do because they imposed sanctions in iraq which killed around 1.5 million iraqis.With good reason they have little reason to trust the UN and the us even less two wars an occupation and we gave them saddam .I think that we need to get the troops out fast. I know alotta people say that they would fight if the usa was invaded and then when i ask them about the iraqis fighting back they say its different.I know there is a great article written by Tariq Ali on this subject.I dont prfess to be an expert on geopolitics i have no clue ofwhat to do.
here is the article http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1076480,00.html

[rucky]

11. Clarify something for me, please:

By the US getting "out" of Iraq, will DK be sending them home or issuing most of them new helmets (with UN on them)?

How many foreign troops are we to expect if the UN takes over?

Seems like most UN missions have been dominated by US troops anyways, but the symbolic significance of being under UN control is very important - even if it is just symbolic.

Right now, the message comes off as a drastic reduction in troops (security) in Iraq. That's what may not be sitting well in many people's minds about Kucinich's plan.

[youngred]

14. the US is NOT a major supplier of UN peacekeeping forces

and the expectations of how many foreign troops is a question the UN will have to answer, but since it hasn't been brought up there is no plan.

[goodhue]

17. wrong

UN peacekeeping has not been dominated by US troops. Far from it. Look it up and learn something . . .

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/home.shtml

[rucky]

19. Wow... Thanks for the info.

Even Bangladesh kicks our butt. The numbers show the potential power of the UN, and what's REALLY standing in the way of their progress: USA.

[TexasSissy]

13. He's way off base. We blew up the country. We have a

responsibility to repair it. Along with others, of course, which is not happening currently.

[goodhue]

15. read the plan please

http://www.kucinich.us/bringourtroopshome.php

The US owes a moral debt to the people of Iraq for the damage caused by the US invasion. The US will also owe a contribution to the UN to help Iraq make the transition to self-government. American taxpayers deserve that their contributions be handled in an accountable, transparent manner. However, Americans are not required to build a state-of-the-art infrastructure as the Administration is planning. The Administration is ordering for top-shelf technology from US corporations for Iraq and paid for by US taxpayers. Sweetheart deals have been awarded with billions of dollars to top corporations and political contributors. That is precisely what corrupts the Administration’s reconstruction efforts today. Instead, Iraqis should be employed to repair Iraq, and US taxpayers should pay only for the damage caused by the US invasion, including compensation for its victims. US taxpayers should not be asked, however, to furnish for Iraq what we do not have here.

[youngred]

16. we do have a responsibility to repair it

which is why a US dominated force, and paying heavily for a UN force to go in would be good. But we cannot continue the way we are...it just asks for more and more bodybags

[revcarol]

29. And DK wants reparations for the families of the innocents

we killed.No one can replace their lives, but we can admit we were wrong by doing this.

[goodhue]

18. DPKO Mission

THE MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

In accordance with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is dedicated to assisting the Member States and the Secretary-General in their efforts to maintain international peace and security. The Department's mission is to plan, prepare, manage and direct UN peacekeeping operations, so that they can effectively fulfil their mandates under the overall authority of the Security Council and General Assembly, and under the command vested in the Secretary-General.

DPKO provides political and executive direction to UN peacekeeping operations, and maintains contact with the Security Council, troop and financial contributors, and parties to the conflict in the implementation of Security Council mandates. DPKO strives to provide the best possible and most cost-efficient administrative and logistical support to missions in the field through the timely deployment of quality equipment and services, adequate financial resources and well-trained personnel. The Department works to integrate the efforts of UN, governmental and non-governmental entities in the context of peacekeeping operations. DPKO also provides guidance and support on military, police, mine action, and logistical and administrative issues to other UN political and peacebuilding missions.

Each peacekeeping operation has a specific set of mandated tasks, but all share certain common aims - to alleviate human suffering, and create conditions and build institutions for self-sustaining peace. The substantial presence of a peacekeeping operation on the ground contributes to this aim by introducing the UN as a third party with a direct impact on the political process. In exercise of its tasks, DPKO aims to minimize the many risks to which peacekeepers may be exposed in the field.

Peacekeeping operations may consist of several components, including a military component, which may or may not be armed, and various civilian components encompassing a broad range of disciplines. Depending on their mandate, peacekeeping missions may be required to:

Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders;

Stabilize conflict situations after a cease fire, to create an environment for the parties to reach a lasting peace agreement;

Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements;

Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic principles, good governance and economic development.

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/info/page3.htm

[dpbrown]

21. Fantastic information!

I'm more well-informed after reading your very well-grounded posts.

:thumbsup:

DPB

[goodhue]

23. Glad you found the DPKO info informative

Imagine what UN peacekeepers could accomplish if the US actually got behind their efforts!

[dpbrown]

38. Isn't that the truth

If the US hadn't kept the UN in check so it was never in a position to interfere with US plans for expansion across the globe, the world would be a better place now.

I'm confident that a President Kucinich would bring full support to UN efforts to develop real international concensus, and a body of well-grounded international law.

[goodhue]

20. Annan, Negroponte to Meet, Discuss Iraq

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3606596,00.html

Friday January 9, 2004 7:46 PM


By NICK WADHAMS

Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations needs to hear from the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi leaders before deciding whether to return to Iraq, but Secretary-General Kofi Annan has concrete ideas about what role the world body should play, officials said.

* * * *

``Everyone wants to see a successful transition to sovereignty in Iraq and everyone has their thinking caps on as to the best way to do that,'' U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Friday. ``We are maintaining an open mind while we listen to whatever the Brits and Americans put forward to us and we're also listening to what the Iraqis are saying.''

* * * *

Annan met with Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday. Hagel, a leading backer of the United Nations, said they discussed the Jan. 19 meeting, and agreed that getting U.N. workers back into Iraq quickly was crucial.

``I believe that the secretary-general does have some very specific ideas about how the U.N. could participate,'' Hagel said. He repeated his belief that having the United Nations in Iraq in a prominent role would bring international legitimacy to U.S. work there.

[revcarol]

26. VERRRY telling remark there by Hagel.

"He repeated his belief that having the United Nations in Iraq in a prominent role(UNDER U. S. COMMAND AND BREMER AND CONDI'S TEAM TO SELECT AND GIVE PREFERENCE TO THEIR CONTRACTORS) would bring INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY to U. S. work there.

Band-aid for hemorrhaging patient, anyone?

Gotta add legitimacy to our immoral, illegitimate, illegal work there.

[iowapeacechief]

22. Go Dennis!

GO DENNIS GO!

[goodhue]

24. keep it kicked for Blumrich n/t

[ThirdWheelLegend]

25. The kick is up and it's

the best candidate!


TWL

[youngred]

27. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

for Dennis!

[genius]

28. Was anyone else upset about Moseley-Braun's attack on Dennis

in the debate and her support for a long expensive occupation? I'm glad we had Dennis to support getting out of there.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

30. Dennis does seem..

Seems to be there for US, the people.

kick!

[Sean Reynolds]

31. No he isn't!

Al Sharpton shares Kucinich's views as well!

[goodhue]

32. Yes

but where is Al's plan? I haven't seen it and I've looked for it.

[Sean Reynolds]

35. Well Al is a little slow.

But he's said it in the debates MANY times that he'd bring the troops home.

[Dookus]

33. there's also

the small matter that the UN doesn't WANT to do it.

How do we make them do it?

[Terwilliger]

34. The UN will usually do whatever the US wants

so a few carrots instead of the damn stick, and we'll be in business

[iowapeacechief]

36. How do we get the UN to go along...

...is the wrong question.

The right question is how to get the US to cooperate with the world community and work multilaterally through the UN and otherwise. I understand that Dennis's plan is about cooperation in rebuilding Iraq and supporting the emergence of legitimate governance. It's not about how to replace U.S. troops with others. That could be part of the solution, but it's not the central issue or the real goal.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

37. Cooperation..

I think that word has too many syllables for the BFEE. Unless you move it around to spell Corporation.


TWL

[ThirdWheelLegend]

39. Kick to stop the illegal occupation and Bring the Troops Home

TWL