Sunday, April 06, 2003

US bans France, Germany from rebuilding Iraq
The House of Representatives has passed a supplementary budget amendment excluding France, Germany, Russia and Syria from taking part in US-funded reconstruction bids in Iraq, because they opposed the US-led war in Iraq.

Proposed by Minnesota congressman Mark Kennedy, a Republican unrelated to the famous Kennedy clan, and passed by show of hands late on Thursday, the measure would even bar access by the four countries to information on reconstruction bids in Iraq.

"This amendment sends a signal to our allies that we appreciate those who support us in our time of need and remember those that have sought to thwart coalition efforts to defeat Saddam Hussein's regime," Nethercutt said of his measure.

I don't know how binding this is on the administration legally, but they would be smart to listen and keep those countries out of the reconstruction. It's nice to defeat Saddam Hussein, but we shouldn't forget that the countries that opposed us gave Saddam resolve and that may have caused more allied deaths. It will also be a good lesson to the world that the United States treats its allies better than its adversaries.

No comments:

Post a Comment