Who's representing Iraq diplomatically?

Factual Questions
1

I think most people will concede the government in Baghdad has ceased to be. But is the Iraqi diplomatic system still functioning? Are the ambassadors Saddam Hussein appointed still speaking on Iraq’s behalf in the UN and other world capitals? Or do all the embassies have signs out front saying “closed for regime change”? Is there a recognized procedure for what happens to overseas representatives when their national government disappears?

2

George Galloway in the U.K…
:slight_smile:

3

Diplomats are supposed to be in the service of the state, not a particular government. My guess: the ambassadors are probably still going to work in the morning (while there is still money left in the embassy account) but not doing much in their official capacity.

None of the conditions where diplomats usually leave/lose their status obtains:

  • Iraq has not ceased to exist
  • the host countries/Institutions have not severed diplomatic relations with Iraq
  • the Iraqi government has not recalled them/withdrawn their accreditation (as there is no government to do this at present).

There was an article in the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel four weeks ago on how the Iraqi chargé d’affaires to Berlin suddenly had retroactively become a Saddam critic. The article also explicitly stated that the chargé d’affaires still officially was Iraq’s representative until a new Iraqi government should recall him.

(the article also mentioned that diplomatic relations with Iraq had been downgraded by Germany from the ‘ambassador’ to ‘chargé d’affaires’ level following the 1991 Gulf war. I assume the same diplomatic measure was taken by other Western nations at the time, so probably there are not that many ambassadors left anyway.)

4

I doubt any of the old ambassadors are still functioning. The UN guy went home. The Iraqi ambassador to Spain was told to go home and he did.

5

As of two weeks ago, many Iraqi embassies continued to function:

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20030424-26224936.htm

In some cases, the ambassador may have left, but the embassy office continues to function, theoretically able to issue passports, etc.