This evening Jame Schlesinger was the guest on the MacNeil News Hour. The question was about the US decision to unilaterally establish the interim government of Iraq. What a boneheaded idea! Schlesinger was completely focused on toeing the party line, "it would be folly to turn the issue over to the United Nations where France would have a veto". I can understand the very human nature of wanting to punish the UN for refusing to go along with their pet war. But they're jeopardizing the entire enterprise -- everything they've worked so hard for -- simply to spite the French. The ultimate success of the new Iraqi government may well hang on their perceived legitimacy. Schlesinger over and over said that the US would have to pick the best person to lead the new government -- even if it was not the favorite identified by Perle and Wolfowitz). But even if we picked the best person, they still won't have legitimacy if they're installed by the US. The Arabs will be vehemently opposed to them on that fact alone.
I'm equally horrified that America, my country, is killing the UN. The 21st century is getting off to a very evil start.