Covering the European press for NRO, Denis Boyles has watched how Europe practiced diplomacy on the nuclear issue with Iran:
The European approach was a time-honored one, something they learned through centuries of colonial rule: They offered the natives baksheesh — called, more politely, “incentives.†At the same time they relied on that most modern of global institutions, the U.N., and produced a resolution, thus creating a carrot-and-stick strategy they thought might work.The outcome of this diplomatic “initiative†has been obvious forever. Not even Iranians can be persuaded carrots make a meal and confusing a U.N. resolution with a stick offends the dignity of sticks everywhere.
Not to pile on the French, but it seems they couldn't backpedal fast enough after originally offering to lead the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon. They didn't want to promise more troops unless and until they could get - and I can't believe I'm writing this - "security guarantees" for their troops. From whom might those come, I wonder? From the Lebanese citizens whose lives and property they are there to defend? From the Hezbollah militia they are supposed to disarm according to UNSCR 1701?
No, apparently they were to come from the U.N. Stop laughing.
Silly me. I thought "peacekeeping" troops were supposed to be the providers of security guarantees, not the beneficiaries of security guarantees. Although they just may have hit on something. We could have peacekeeping troops to provide security for the peacekeeping troops. It's "job creation", and it's what the U.N. does well. Boyles is always good. Read it all.
Posted by dan at August 25, 2006 3:29 PM