Delegation worried about post-war Iraq

By Deirdre Fulton

WASHINGTON – Reconstruction of post-war Iraq would be a daunting task, some Maine lawmakers said Thursday, and would require a lot of money, time and energy.

In addition, members of the delegation worried that President Bush, in a speech he gave Wednesday night before an American Enterprise Institute audience, was too confident about the long-term effects of war with Iraq.

"His assessment of the costs of a war and a continued rebuilding process, in both economic and human terms, is overly optimistic," said Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud, adding that he wished the president would talk more about nation building in the United States - dealing with issues like the American economy and health care - rather then abroad.

It will be difficult to help rebuild Iraq, said Democratic Rep. Thomas Allen, because the U.S. military will have to perform a policing role during reconstruction. Voicing another of several concerns, Allen asked, "How do you police the country when you don't speak the language?"

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, though she commended the administration for developing plans to deal with the aftermath of war, advised it to continue to work with U.S. allies.

"The U.S. cannot, and should not, shoulder the entire burden of reconstructing Iraq," she said.

The president's hope for peace and democracy not only in Iraq but also in the Middle East as a whole is unrealistic, Allen said.

"Though no one knows, I believe an invasion of Iraq is more likely to destabilize the Middle East than to stabilize it," he said, referring to the president's linkage between the removal of Saddam Hussein and the achievement of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "It's more likely to increase the threat of terrorism than reduce it."

Allen also expressed concern about international perceptions of the United States. Though the president's speech was intended to persuade the world of America's democratic - not imperialistic - goals, Allen said President Bush could give "6,000 speeches about our intentions and the world will judge us more by what we do than what we say."

A lot of international opinion depends on whether the United States has the backing of the United Nations, Allen said.

Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe also stressed the importance of the United Nations, saying in a statement, "I was impressed with the President's vision for stability and peace in Iraq and the Middle East and continue to believe the best opportunity for peace in the region will stem from a strong, unified international commitment to upholding the United Nations resolutions."

Snowe and Collins both said they still hoped for a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iraq. Snowe stressed the fact that Iraq still had time to comply with U.N. resolutions by completely disarming.

Published in The Kennebec Journal and The Morning Sentinel, in Maine.