Iraq needs elected government to fill the vacuum

The second obstacle lurks from the unwillingness of nations to contribute troops amid serious deterioration in Iraq's security situation. Routine attacks on occupation forces, UN members and even Iraqis cooperating with the occupying powers have deterred otherwise willing nations risking the lives of their soldiers. Nations do remember that the US-UK cabal had little regard for the profound opinion all over the world against an invasion of Iraq under flimsy pretexts.

At the perceptive level, the prospective troops contributing countries suffer from indecisiveness and confusion with regard to troops' commitment. For instance, India seems unwilling to contribute troops due to its initial opposition to Iraq's invasion as well as the risks under which its troops must operate, if deployed.

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Unless the UNSC can create a 'blue helmet' force to maintain security in Iraq, Pakistan and Bangladesh too will find it harder to make such contributions. Bangladesh and Pakistan too opposed Iraq's occupation by the US-UK forces.

The case of Turkey is quite different from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. As a NATO member, Turkish troops might work under a different set of mandate irrespective of any UN resolution authorising such force contribution.

That prospect too seems bleak due to the hesitation of France and Germany --two other NATO members in the pack-- to accept anything but a comprehensive resolution that would begin the process of transferring Iraq's political power to an elected indigenous body.

Nations also question US' intention due to the Bush administration's determination to cling on to the command of an international force. It is one thing to command troops by occupation powers, quite different however it is when the forces are created by the UN and the command is vested in commanders chosen under a totally different set of criteria.

Consequently, and the US-UK desperation to cobble together an international force under the UN umbrella notwithstanding, the US-UK occupation powers must arrange to hold an election in Iraq at their earliest convenience and stipulate a precise time frame for the withdrawal of all occupation forces from that country.

This commitment is likely to pay two dividends: (1) reduction in the instances of guerilla attacks on occupation forces, hence an improvement in the security situation; and (2) willingness of many UN members to contribute troops under the UN in a much stable security situation.

For, even if an international force can be cobbled, it will be a bad precedent to install UN troops in an occupied country, particularly at a time when the request for the same was never entertained with respect to Palestine which too is under Israeli occupation that continues to endanger global peace and tranquillity.