A proposal to replace US forces in Iraq with soldiers from Muslim countries has stalled because of problems over the continued presence of American troops and obtaining a UN mandate, a top official said yesterday.
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia, whose country holds the chairmanship of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, told reporters that Muslim countries have not been agreeable to serving under the US-led coalition's command.
Syed Hamid's remarks, made at the official dedication of a US-supported Southeast Asian anti-terrorism center, were the most recent sign that a Saudi proposal that Muslim troops could take up positions in Iraq as coalition forces withdraw has not gained traction.
Syed Hamid said there was "nothing on the agenda" of the UN Security Council to mandate a peacekeeping force from Muslim nations under a UN command -- the only banner that would be politically acceptable.
"I don't think the US is interested in leaving," Syed Hamid said. "It is difficult if the US doesn't agree and it is not on the agenda of the Security Council."
Under the Saudi plan, the primary role of Muslim forces would be to protect UN officials, but they could be used to help guard the borders against armed infiltrators.
Syed Hamid refused to say if the proposal has been scrapped, but admitted that "it has not taken off the ground." Discussions were ongoing among Islamic countries, he said.
"If we are going to participate, my own view is that the idea of a replacement [force] may not be possible or practical," he said.
"If we want to participate, we may have to participate under the banner of the multinational force," he said.
The Bush administration is eager to enlist Muslim countries to relieve the burden on American troops, and provide an element of Muslim approval to the fight against insurgents in Iraq. But administration officials have noted that Muslim countries are resisting the plan.
Saudi officials had mentioned Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Malaysia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco and Yemen as countries that might join its proposed Muslim force to help stabilize Iraq. But none has really stepped forward.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said the presence of the US-led coalition "is fueling hatred and opposition from many factions in Iraq, and hence the continuing acts of violence."
There are some 138,000 US troops in Iraq and more than 900 Americans have been killed since military operations began in March last year.
Earlier, in dedicating the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism, Syed Hamid said that the "continued occupation in Palestine and Iraq would have deep implications and ramifications on international peace and security."
Syed Hamid said that Muslims continued to be discriminated against in the war on terror, which could lead to further violence.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei Province late last month. When reviewing the photographs, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
TURNAROUND: The Liberal Party had trailed the Conservatives by a wide margin, but that was before Trump threatened to make Canada the US’ 51st state Canada’s ruling Liberals, who a few weeks ago looked certain to lose an election this year, are mounting a major comeback amid the threat of US tariffs and are tied with their rival Conservatives, according to three new polls. An Ipsos survey released late on Tuesday showed that the left-leaning Liberals have 38 percent public support and the official opposition center-right Conservatives have 36 percent. The Liberals have overturned a 26-point deficit in six weeks, and run advertisements comparing the Conservative leader to Trump. The Conservative strategy had long been to attack unpopular Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but last month he
Chinese authorities said they began live-fire exercises in the Gulf of Tonkin on Monday, only days after Vietnam announced a new line marking what it considers its territory in the body of water between the nations. The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration said the exercises would be focused on the Beibu Gulf area, closer to the Chinese side of the Gulf of Tonkin, and would run until tomorrow evening. It gave no further details, but the drills follow an announcement last week by Vietnam establishing a baseline used to calculate the width of its territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin. State-run Vietnam News
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
RSS