Going it alone has gotten up and left, maybe.

Signals from Washington suggest President Bush is changing course on Iraq. The administration is showing signs of ceding some control to the United Nations as a way to attract international aid for securing and rebuilding the country.

The move to seek a Security Council resolution expanding the U.N. role is welcome and overdue.

Security in Iraq is precarious, at best. The bombing of U.N. headquarters and the assassination of a leading Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir, along with continued problems providing much of the country with even basic services, such as electricity and drinking water, clearly illustrate we need help.

As Congress returned to work this week, lawmakers brought with them the worries of a nation, concerned about our Iraq policy, our troops in harm’s way and the financial toll of a lengthy operation.

The failure to adequately prepare for the post-war occupation has put the United States into the uncomfortable position of seeking help from the very allies we spurned in on our march toward invasion.

It is still unclear exactly how much authority the administration is ready to hand over. The Pentagon has been adamant in its refusal to place U.S. forces under United Nations’ command.

We certainly understand that, but we must find an olive branch to extend to our allies if we are to reasonably expect them to put their men and women in harm’s way and carry some of the considerable financial burden of rebuilding Iraq.

The Congressional Budget Office released a dire warning this week that the Army doesn’t have enough active-duty troops to maintain the 150,000 soldiers in Iraq beyond next spring. While there is enough manpower to maintain an occupation force about half the current size, to keep troop strength at more than 100,000 would require activation of more National Guard and reserve units.

We need more than just troop commitments from countries such as Turkey. Our goal to foster a democratic Iraq requires that the country’s infrastructure be rebuilt, that institutions be formed, that an army and police force are trained and equipped. These responsibilities are expensive and go beyond the $1 billion a week we are spending now.

Once on the ground, regardless of the flag flown, the United Nations will be working toward America’s objectives of security, stability and development. Militants in Iraq understand that chaos is their best weapon. That’s why they attack aid groups and civilians who are trying to help restore order.

Make no mistake, U.N. participation in Iraq is no guarantee of success. The international body’s record of nation building and peacekeeping is imperfect. Failures in Beirut, the Horn of Africa and Srebrenica offer graphic proof.

Iraq cannot be abandoned. But the United States shouldn’t shoulder the entire burden of reviving this failed state. Common ground exists between the United States and our allies. Time to find it.


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