Brahimi quits post as UN envoy in Iraq

[conjur]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/438248.html

NEW YORK - Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations special envoy to Iraq, announced his resignation from the post at a meeting yesterday of the Security Council and in the presence of Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The resignation, brewing for a number of days, shocked the diplomatic community at the world body.

Brahimi explained that his decision stemmed from great difficulties and frustration experienced during his assignment in Iraq. He said that he does not intend to return to Iraq.

The UN diplomat has still not delivered a letter of resignation but senior UN sources said the secretary general is already exploring possibilities for a replacement.

According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, Brahimi's current assignment in Iraq has been completed.

 

[Moonbeam]

What is that funny smell?

 

[GrGr]

It's coming from the Brown House, formerly known as the White House, home of Bush the Torturer.

 

[chess9]

Moonbeam:

He, he. You so naughty.

I'm sure it was the smell, though.

-Robert

 

[Harvey]

Interesting. Googling "Brahimi quits" gets only middle eastern news outlets. No CNN, NBC, CBS, not even < shudder > Fox News.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I don't get it. I thought Brahimi's responsibility was to put together an interim government that might work. Personally, I think it's unreasonable to expect the man to stick around considering he would have to deal with Bush/Negroponte/US (who he clearly has no love for) and the gaggle of profiteers from Chalabi on down that are just looking to get their grubby hands on Gulf crude. Toss in the EU wallflowers that have "a bunch of ideas" but are providing no real help . . . and I would say . . . "screw this job I'm going fishin'!"

 

[maddogchen]

When the going gets tough, just quit!

Anyway, I don't agree with BaliBabyDoc. Brahimi knew he would be dealing with Bush people, Chalabi people, and "Euro wallflowers" in the beginning when he accepted the job. He must have known it would be extremely difficult, a lot of hard work, and many frustrating meetings. If he didn't think he could hack it till the end, he shouldn't have taken the job. Now they have to find a new person who probably has to start over and develop relations with all three sides again. Probably gonna delay the process further.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: maddogchen
When the going gets tough, just quit!

Anyway, I don't agree with BaliBabyDoc. Brahimi knew he would be dealing with Bush people, Chalabi people, and "Euro wallflowers" in the beginning when he accepted the job. He must have known it would be extremely difficult, a lot of hard work, and many frustrating meetings. If he didn't think he could hack it till the end, he shouldn't have taken the job. Now they have to find a new person who probably has to start over and develop relations with all three sides again. Probably gonna delay the process further.

Knowing who you might be working with and actually knowing what that means are 2 separate situations.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Sandorski hit the nail on the head.

In addition, Brahimi's mandate was NEVER . . . "birth of a nation". It was a lot more of . . . "damn this place is fudged up . . . see what you can do."

On a related note, I don't blame Tommy Franks for hitting the bricks, either. He did his job and then passed on the next phase to someone else. It's his perogative . . . so why not extend the same courtesy to Brahimi? My guesstimate of why he's leaving is pure conjecture. I don't know exactly what his "great difficulties and frustation" entails but I imagine it's reasonably comparable the cluster duck otherwise known as postwar Iraq.

Regardless, the man helped get Iraq to the interim government stage so why torture the man further?

 

[maddogchen]

Many things are not what you expected it you be, tough thats life. The fact that he's quiting now just shows he's a failure (can't handle the job). Are you saying he underestimated the difficulties? The Bush administration underestimated the difficulties in Iraq, should I cut them slack too?

on the Tommy Franks note, Franks did his job, which was to organize a plan for an invasion of Iraq and carry it out. He promised his wife he'd retire after he was done. He finished his job and is spending more time with his wife.

Brahimi hasn't finished his. His job was to help put together an interim government. Its not even June 30th yet, they haven't started the interim government. Why should we extend the same courtesy to Brahimi?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: maddogchen
Many things are not what you expected it you be, tough thats life. The fact that he's quiting now just shows he's a failure (can't handle the job). Are you saying he underestimated the difficulties? The Bush administration underestimated the difficulties in Iraq, should I cut them slack too?

on the Tommy Franks note, Franks did his job, which was to organize a plan for an invasion of Iraq and carry it out. He promised his wife he'd retire after he was done. He finished his job and is spending more time with his wife.

Brahimi hasn't finished his. His job was to help put together an interim government. Its not even June 30th yet, they haven't started the interim government. Why should we extend the same courtesy to Brahimi?

What if he's quitting because he can't finish his job due to outside interference? Even the most capable are not going to stick around if they realize others are calling the shots and they are nothing more than a possible fallguy.

Not saying that's his actual situation, just a very possible one.