EU won't help rebuild Iraq if UN doesn't back war
The Jerusalem Post
12 March 2003
The European Union is unlikely to contribute funds to rebuild Iraq after any war which is not authorized by the United Nations, the External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said Wednesday.
"I have no difficulty in going to the (European) parliament and going to the member states and getting people to write checks," Patten said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"If there isn't UN authority for a military intervention, it's going to be much more difficult to do that. If there isn't immediately after a military intervention a UN mandate for reconstruction, it's going to be more difficult to do that," he said.
"And frankly, the situation isn't helped by the sort of story that came
out in Washington a couple of days ago that the (US) government had brought
in five American contractors to discuss with them the work they could do after
a military conflict.
"All that may be very innocent, but as far as politics goes, is exceptionally
maladroit," Patten said.