Lounsbury: Clumsily, Clumsily

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June 15, 2004

Clumsily, Clumsily

Rather more important, in my opinion than the unfortunate deaths of the GE contractors, or the bombing of the oil terminal (Go long in oil?), but perhaps on the level of the assasination of shiite truck drivers are the following tidbits: (from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/15/international/middleeast/15CND-IRAQ.html
" Adding to the tensions, the American and Iraqi governments clashed over several contentious issues in what appeared to be the first major test of power for this country's new interim government.

Iyad Allawi, the prime minister, called for the Americans to hand over all detainees � including Saddam Hussein � to the Iraqis by June 30, when Iraq will gain limited sovereign powers. Mr. Allawi also said through a spokesman that foreign contractors should be subject to all Iraqi laws. The president, Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar, demanded that the Americans hand over Mr. Hussein's Republican Palace, a prominent symbol of power, to the Iraqi government after June 30.

American officials said they did not have to meet any of the demands and were in discussions with the Iraqi government over them. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the resolution passed earlier this month by the United Nations Security Council granted the Americans final authority over detainees, while President Bush said he wanted to make sure there was "appropriate security" before handing over Mr. Hussein.

"We also do not have to hand him over until there's a cessation of active hostilities," said Dan Senor, a spokesman for the occupation. "Hostilities, unfortunately, continue."

On the issue of American contractors, Mr. Senor said such workers would answer to Iraqi laws if they committed criminal acts, but that an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the top American administrator here, gave contractors immunity from legal prosecution over any incident involving their work.

As for handing over the Republican Palace, he added, "we need substantial space, property, for the U.S. mission here." The palace is being used by the Coalitional Provisional Authority as a headquarters building and will likely become an annex for the American embassy due to open here after June 30, Mr. Senor said."

Emphasis added.

I suppose I should give up hope of the Americans in Baghdad ever adopting phrasing or public statements that will not unnecessarily rile up people and confirm their clumsy arrogance. Have to... Well "have to" in the legalist terms is probably not the most relevant issue. What is probably far more relevant is rescuing some tiny piece of your influence and some tiny bit of an ability to achieve something approaching your original goals. The public response could be far more... helpful in its phrasing.

June 15, 2004

Clumsily, Clumsily

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