Blast Casts Shadow over U.N. Role in Iraq

In one of the most devastating attacks on a United Nations facility in recent memory, a bomb killed at least 20 people and injured scores more at the U.N. compound in Baghdad on Tuesday. Just as it appeared the United States might grudgingly accept that the world body should play a greater role in the reconstruction of Iraq, the attack has delivered a devastating blow to U.N. efforts to help rebuild the war-torn country.

Besides the high human cost, the death of U.N. Special Representative to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello and others who had come to Iraq to assist in the rebuilding of the country raises serious questions about the future involvement of the international community and support networks in the country.

Condemning the blast and expressing anguish at the deaths, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the United Nations no intention of pulling out of Iraq and that the Security Council would meet later in the day to discuss its next move.

“I hope to see Iraq restored as soon as possible to peace, security and full independence. The United Nations will make every effort to bring that about," he said in Stockholm, Sweden before heading back to U.N. headquarters in New York.

EU staff pulling out

Officials from the European Union echoed the statements from the U.N. that the atrocity would not shake the international community's commitment to rebuilding Iraq and bringing stability back to the war-torn country. The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana strongly condemned the attack and expressed sympathy to the relatives of the victims and to the United Nations and its staff before adding, "The EU strongly supports the U.N.'s important ongoing role in the reconstruction of Iraq."

But at the same time, the European Commission on Wednesday said it was recalling staff from Baghdad, which could end up delaying EU reconstruction aid to Iraq. “The mission has been disbanded. The staff are trying to make their way out of the country,” Commission spokesman Michael Mann said. “Obviously our need assessment process will be affected by what has happened,” he said, referring to the EU’s plans to have an overview of what Iraq needs for reconstruction before an international aid summit in Spain later this year.

The attack on the U.N. headquarters will add to the mounting pressure on the United States to find willing partners to share the burden of policing and rebuilding Iraq.

Washington has been lobbying countries to send in peacekeeping troops to help stabilize the country since the end of major combat operations was announced in May. It may well argue now that a more concerted international effort, including the deployment of troops from a wider cast of nations, is needed to bring the perpetrators and like-minded groups in Iraq to justice and to restore order.

No German troops

Only last week, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder reiterated his position on the subject of a peacekeeping contribution when he warned against "wild speculation" over a possible German troop deployment in Iraq and said nothing had changed regarding Germany’s refusal of a possible military deployment in Iraq. Escalating violence in the wake of this latest Baghdad bombing may do little to convince the chancellor to change his mind.

U.N. resolution 1500, passed last week, was put forward by the United States in the latest attempt to rope in the larger international community to reinforce the increasingly difficult task of keeping the peace in Iraq.

With the security situation in Iraq now at a dangerous all-time low since the end of 'official' war hostilities and with prominent non-combat targets on the hit list of terrorists and underground guerrilla forces at large in Iraq, already skeptical nations may now be even harder to convince.