The President’s intelligence advisors have told him that there’s been little political progress to date, and they are very pessimistic on the chances for political progress in the future.  

Yet, everyone involved in the Iraq war knows that a military solution alone will not accomplish our objectives.  

A political/diplomatic effort, probably involving the nations of the region, is essential to contain the violence and begin the long journey to self-rule that the Iraqis must undertake.  

Civil war, sectarian violence, a climate of hate and revenge must be countered by the possibility of a new social contract, a power-sharing agreement, that assures majority and minority rights, that protects Iraq’s oil wealth so that it serves all of its people, that returns a sense of respect for individual citizens, for the country, for its leaders and national institutions.  

To accomplish the single most important goal of ending the violence will require the urgent involvement of the world’s most skilled diplomats, individuals who have the respect and confidence of the contending factions.  

The possibility of such mediation has been made available to us through Bernard Kouchner’s recent visit to Baghdad, the first to Iraq by a French official since the invasion in 2003.  

Kouchner is France’s foreign minister, an unexpected but brilliant appointment by President Sarkozy.  He is the only major leader of the Left who supported President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq in order to forcibly remove Saddam Hussein from power.  

A founder of Doctors Without Borders and a former UN administrator in Kosovo, his humanitarian and political achievements are of the highest rank.  He has credibility in the region. He has known Iraqi religious and political leaders for decades.  

The United States as an occupying power in a hostile land cannot be the mediator of this conflict but its presence and its acknowledged role as a Superpower assures its ability to prevent any agreement inimical to its legitimate interests.  

We should encourage Bernard Kouchner in this role, express our confidence in him as an honest broker, invite him to begin discussions and negotiations in which we will participate as he believes helpful to his mission.  

There is one other person who could make Kouchner’s mission promising – that is the UN presence that would be assured by the designation of Lakhdar Brahimi as its representative in these talks.  

Brahimi, a profoundly respected international diplomat, admired as well by American leaders who have worked with him, can be a major factor in the mediating discussions.  

The United States must take a chance on peace.  We cannot dictate its terms and we are too compromised by four years of brutal war to be accepted for the needed role.  

Let us welcome Kouchner and Brahimi as negotiators whom we respect and give them our support in recommending a solution that would end the violence and enable a new beginning. 

America’s interests cannot be harmed by this leap of faith.  

The President could designate a special group to interface as necessary with Kouchner/Brahimi – a group that included General Petraeus, Ambassadors Crocker and Khalilizad and could include James Baker, Lee Hamilton, Brent Scowcroft, Richard Holbrooke, Ann Marie Slaughter, and Donald McHenry – all persons with substantial international experience who know how to work with the White House. 

The greatest gift President Bush can give his countrymen and his successor before he leaves office is an honorable peace in Iraq.  

Kouchner and Brahimi have a better chance of finding a successful formula than anyone otherwise available.  

Our allies – and our enemies – know that the United States is not able to end the violence in Iraq by itself.  Recognizing that, France and Kouchner offer us an immediate possibility of exploring new directions.  

The solution may be complicated, the effort may ultimately fail but we cannot permit the opportunity to pass without having encouraged and supported it.

       Amb.vandenHeuvel@MaximsNews.com

FORMER U.S. DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS Amb. vanden Heuvel is a Contributor to MaximsNews.com. See bio below.

Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel: Bio

Ambassador vanden Heuvel has served as Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as U.S. Ambassador to the European Office of the U.N.  An international lawyer, he is also Senior Advisor to Allen and Company, a New York investment banking firm.  

Ambassador vanden Heuvel has served as President of the International Rescue Committee, as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United Nations Association of the United States of America, and as Chairman of the New York City Board of Correction.  

A graduate of the Cornell University Law School, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Law Review and later served as Executive Assistant to General William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan, Special Counsel to Governor Averell Harriman and Assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.  

Ambassador vanden Heuvel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Founder and Chair Emeritus of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, Co-Chair of the Council of American Ambassadors, and Vice-Chair of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. He is a Contributor to MaximsNews.com.       

      Amb.vandenHeuvel@MaximsNews.com

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