President Bush returned to the United Nations yesterday for the first time since the U.S. invaded Iraq without UN backing. This time he called for international assistance in the reconstruction of Iraq and to defend Washington’s Iraq policy.

On Iraq, Bush rejected proposals by France and Germany for power to be quickly transferred from the occupying U.S. and British forces back to the Iraqi people. Bush said the transfer must be “neither hurried nor delayed.” Bush also defended the invasion saying “Iraq’s former dictator will never again use weapons of mass destruction.”

A Washington Post analysis found Bush’s address left many unanswered questions including: How quickly would the United States grant sovereignty to the Iraqis? Would the administration grant any decision-making role to the United Nations? Or does the administration simply want assistance without giving up much in return?

The Bush administration’s policy of preemptive attack came under criticism from both Secretary General Kofi Annan and French President Jacques Chirac. Chirac said: “The United Nations has just weathered one of its most serious trials in its history… respect for the [UN] Charter, the use of force, were at the heart of the debate. The war, which was started without the authorization of the Security Council, has shaken the multilateral system.”

Annan added about preemptive attacks QUOTE “My concern is that if it were to be adopted, it would set precedents that resulted in a proliferation of the unilateral and lawless use of force with or without justification.” Although Annan did not specifically refer to the United States, the New York Times reported he gave the impression that he believed Washington was endangering world peace with its foreign policies.

The Washington Post reported Annan and Chirac’s addresses received enthusiastic reaction while Bush received tepid, almost perfunctory applause for Bush’s presentation. A lead editorial in the Post was headlined “A Failed Speech.” Slate.com headlined their coverage “Bush to World: Drop Dead.”

Analysts predict support from the international community will be far less than Washington hoped. One diplomat told the New York Times QUOTE “The situation in Iraq is getting more difficult every day and so is the atmosphere at the United Nations.”