"Show me the Euros!"

The Times of London blasts the Euro's for their lack of follow-through in delivering pledged aid. 20-months ago, world leaders convened in Madrid and pledged billions of dollars in aid to assist the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. What have we seen in the interim?

Since then less than a third of that money has been spent and much of the European funding has not even been delivered to holding accounts set up by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But Iraq's reliance on outside help, if it is to bring peace and security to its people, remains acute. The conference of international donors starting in Brussels tomorrow must be seized on, especially by Europe, to send a signal of unshakeable support for the Iraqi people, and of equally unshakeable resolve to help to defeat those intent on destroying their nascent democracy.

While acknowledging that the on-going security issues make work in Iraq difficult, the Times refuses to let anyone off the hook: The most obvious reason for governments' failure to deliver on pledges made at the Madrid conference is Iraq's bleak security situation. Clearly, aid agencies and contractors cannot be expected to deploy civilian personnel where their safety cannot be guaranteed. But there is a difference between reasonable caution and willful neglect. The decisions by France, Germany and Russia to ignore Iraq's pleas out of political pique were indefensible in Madrid and would be unforgivable if repeated in Brussels.

Europe is flirting with irrelevance here, given the unfulfilled promises it's made. In their quest to be taken seriously on a world-stage dominated by the U.S., such actions make them look like great pretenders. Nobody wants to entrust a room full of pretenders with any real authority or responsibility, and wisely so. It's time to step-up; put your Euros where your mouths are!