Time for new allies.(Scan)

This fall, U.S. leaders acted as model internationalists.

First, a U.N. Security Council resolution was passed in which all parties unanimously agreed that more international aid was needed to rectify the damage done to Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein. Then a conference with more than 70 countries convened in Madrid to raise the funds needed to put the former outlaw nation back on its feet. Putting America's money where its mouth is, the Bush administration and Congress led by example with an offer of $20 billion in direct assistance to the Iraqi people.

These U.S. efforts were conducted in the most gentle "multilateral" fashion. All the things the French and Germans are always lecturing America to do--rely more on diplomacy, share more aid, take less independent action--were done. So how was this received by our professed European allies? In far too many cases, with a curt "good luck" and turned backs.

Despite benefiting from the squashing of terrorism in the Middle East even more than the U.S. does (due to their proximity to the danger zone, and the large restive Muslim immigrant populations within their own borders) the French, Germans, Belgians, Russians, and company offered essentially nothing. France sent only a low-level delegation to Madrid and announced it would not be contributing to the rebuilding of Iraq. Russia likewise offered not a kopek. The European Union pledged $231 million. Recall that the E.U. has 100 million more people than the U.S., and a larger total economic output. Which makes its offer--1/86th of the U.S. contribution--look quite miserable. Germany agreed to only $50 million.

German development minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul stated that Germany "cannot afford" to offer any additional help to the Iraqis. She added that she was also against forgiving any of the $4.6 billion that Iraq owes to Germany --even though debt forgiveness would not require any budget outlays. And that debt, of course, was rung up during traffickings with Hussein which ...