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Article by M. Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, published in the "International Herald tribune"

What France can do in Iraq

What can be said about Iraq today? It is a "democratic" country – with a Constitution adopted by referendum and universal direct suffrage – that is at war with itself. It is a country liberated from a bloodthirsty dictatorship – which killed between 2 million and 4 million people – where blood continues to be shed. It is a country of paradox and segmentation, like the hearts and minds of its people. Outside of a highly protected "Green Zone" in Baghdad, and a more or less stable Kurdish region, Iraq is being ripped apart by a storm of hatred and violence that has driven 4 million refugees from their homes and continues to kill nearly 2,000 people every day.

I have just returned from three days in Iraq. I went to listen to the candid views of its people – Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians – in order to get a feel for what they think. I also wanted to express France's complete support for the crucial goal of national reconciliation and for the inclusive dialogue that is needed to bring this about.

In my conversations there, I perceived a deep need among many Iraqis for recognition and for new ties with France and Europe. The Iraqis have been isolated for too long and feel abandoned by the international community. After years of debating the American presence in Iraq, the time has come for us to turn our attention to the Iraqis themselves.

I also went to Iraq because I wanted to mark France's return to a place that is vitally important to our future and to that of our children. We have maintained our embassy in Baghdad, thanks to the courageous staff that has kept it running, but we have ignored the country politically. No French foreign minister had been to Iraq since 1988. Yet France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has special responsibilities. It cannot turn its back on a crisis that affects not just Iraq, but entire region and the world beyond.

We cannot ignore the crisis with the excuse that Iraq has fallen prey to a culture of violence. We cannot turn a deaf ear to the Iraqis because they were – over our objections – liberated and then controlled by our American and British allies. Iraq's troubles lie at the heart of the world's problems – the hostility between communities, religious fanaticism and conflicts of civilization that are being played out against a backdrop of terrorism, nuclear proliferation and globalization.

I went to Baghdad on 19 August because I wanted to mark the fourth anniversary of the bomb attack on the UN headquarters there that killed my friend Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN special envoy, and 21 of his colleagues. Beyond paying them tribute, I want to call for a renewal of the UN's role in Iraq, which I believe is indispensable.

What can France do to help this ravaged country recover hope? First, it can be modest. No one imagines that we have a magic formula. But as one Iraqi official said when I asked him what France could do, "It can offer a fresh look." Another official added, "Restore our self-respect."

Everyone knows that France did not support the coalition's intervention in 2003. Although the invasion ended a brutal dictatorship, the methods used to build a secure and democratic Iraq have failed. It is time to start anew. There can be no lasting military solution to this crisis. The solution has to be political. The Iraqis themselves, including those most hostile to the American presence, may not want the foreign troops to leave immediately, but a withdrawal must nevertheless be planned, in consultation with the Iraqi authorities. At the same time, a broad-based government of national unity must be established. France is prepared to act as mediator in this endeavour.

Yes, France can help to provide a fresh look. It can do so because it did not take part in the 2003 intervention and because it is bound to Iraq by longstanding ties of friendship and because it has a broad spectrum of contacts with all of the country's communities. And it can do so because we are the allies – sometimes troublesome, as true friends are – of the Americans.

France can help by working with the United Nations and the European Union in the cause of peace. France supports the international initiatives taken in recent months to set in motion a political and international process to address the crisis. The United Nations took a step in the right direction on 10 August when it approved Resolution 1770 calling for the organization to take a broader role in Iraq. We must now work to make that move effective.

Iraq's neighbours must also play a credible part in the search for a solution. Nothing substantial can be done without them. France must help convince them to take part. The process begun in May in Sharm el-Sheikh is positive; the practical arrangements it provides for must be implemented right away, especially the three working groups that will be dealing with the crucial issues of energy, refugees and security.

The dream of an Iraq at peace with itself is not beyond reach. Much effort, clear-headedness and conviction can make it a reality – provided we all have the courage to get the job done. If we shy away from this, we can expect the worst./.