Hassan Tahsin, Special to Arab News

Using a carrot and stick approach, the Americans are negotiating to create a multinational force to participate in the occupation of Iraq — they describe it as an “international allied force.” This became apparent after the visit by the US defense secretary to Iraq and Afghanistan, when he learned first-hand of the feelings of despair that have overwhelmed the American forces.

The multinational force is designed to serve mainly the following American objectives:

• It gives the invasion of Iraq the legitimacy that it failed to gain prior to the war.

• It serves to take the heat off the American soldiers when it comes to attacks from the Iraqi resistance, which have resulted in daily loss of life in the ranks of the US forces and reminded many in the US of Vietnam.

• It reduces the financial burden of the war, which has become a drain on the US budget and threatens its economy. This has also come under scrutiny in the US Congress.

• It provides a good cover for the deals that will enable the US to recover what it spent on the war and assist the US economy, managing potential objections from other big nations, who will in turn receive a small portion of the pie.

Strangely enough however, the US administration continues to reject any interference or participation in the governing of Iraq — whether from allies or the UN. This single-minded position was reiterated by the US president in his address to the UN General Assembly last week. He announced his refusal to set any timetable for the handing over of power and authority to the Iraqis, insisting that it will be a slow and painstaking process and criticizing countries like France and Germany, who argued for a quick transfer of power to its rightful owners.

The reaction wasn’t in Bush’s favor. The Washington Post said Bush had failed after two days of meetings with world leaders to extract a single commitment to send forces to Iraq or participate financially in the rebuilding process. They added that in coming out empty-handed whilst the military is clamoring for more forces and money quickly, the president was now in a difficult position.

Rebuilding Iraq doesn’t require US or any foreign presence. The return of authority to the Iraqi people, the police force going back to work, rebuilding a portion of the Iraqi military force and the end to foreign interference would be sufficient to rebuild Iraq within a few years.

But the reality is that Iraq’s enormous oil wealth is the principal reason why Washington wants to stay in Iraq.

At the same time, the Anglo-American occupying forces will not be able to keep confronting the mounting Iraqi resistance that is racking up the number of dead bodies. The deaths in particular are making ordinary Americans demand the return of their sons from a war fought on false pretences.

The US presence in Iraq has become a real burden for the American administration because it has failed to impose complete control over Iraq, forcing them to call on forces from the National Guard and the reserves to reinforce their troops already in the country.

Is this then the beginning of a serious threat to the greatest military power in the world?

— Arab News Opinion 29 September 2003