The Arab League has declined to recognize the Governing Council in Iraq, at least for the time being.
Arab League members decided Tuesday not to recognize Iraq’s U.S.-appointed Governing Council, saying they will wait until a government is elected.
[…] “The council is a start, but it should pave the way for a legitimate government that can be recognized,” league Secretary-General Amr Moussa said after a committee of foreign ministers met to forge a unified stance on how to deal with Iraq.
Right. Because the previous regime in Iraq — founded by a bloody coup, of course, but which won most recent elections with, ah, I believe it was 100% of the vote, was clearly an “elected” and “legitimate” government.
As, of course, are all the other members of the Arab League. (Or, for that matter, all the member states of the General Assembly of the UN.)
Granted, I wouldn’t necessarily call the Governing Council either elected or even a legitimate government. It’s a transitional administrative body, because, damn, you have to start somewhere.
Still, had the Arab League declared they were holding off on recognizing any government in Iraq until after the dust settles, that would have come across as a lot less snarky (and hypocritical) that this partcular press release.