Developments not up to expectations
Is Rice satisfied with the operations in Iraq? The feeling I got, both from Rice and Rumsfeld, as well as from leading Democratic senators such as Paul Sarbanes and Carl Levin, not to mention American journalists and newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, is the same: that while the military operations have proceeded according to plan, they are clearly not up to expectations with regard to the reaction of the Iraqi people and the possibilities for paramilitary sabotage against US troops, with the risk of losing more soldiers and civilians. It is a risk that had not been correctly foreseen and is causing concern among the entire political leadership across the board. What do you think? The military outcome might not be far off, but the political outcome could well be, particularly judging from the (Iraqi) people’s reaction. That is why it is very important for the UN to play a substantial role, in order to avert a very long and painful process. That is why the UN secretary-general told me that there will have to be real participation, so that the next regime will have both legitimacy and the ability to impose its will and establish conditions of security.
