This could be good: an Iraqi initiative

Group of Iraqis asks UN to take over
By RYAN LENZ, Associated Press Writer
12 March 2008
BAGHDAD - A group of Iraqi tribal leaders, former politicians and intellectuals appealed Wednesday to the United Nations to take control of Iraq in a move they say would help U.S. troops leave the beleaguered country.

This sounds like something we ought to encourage, for a couple of reasons.
1. Since at least May 2004, W has been promising to engage the international community, with no actions taken to actually achieve this engagement. This initiative takes a positive step toward that goal.
2. This is an Iraqi initiative - informal leaders trying to steer their country onto a road that may lead to some more-positive end-state for their country. (I'll note in passing that the American Revolution was initiated and led by just such a group of informal leaders - the Continental Congress had no formal legal competence - it was just a bunch of informal leaders from all the colonies.)

I am a bit perplexed by the second paragraph of this story:

Both the U.S. administration and the Baghdad government are unlikely to endorse the request, which was addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and delivered to the Cairo offices of the organization.

I can understand the Baghdad govt's objections - a group of informal leaders poses a direct threat to its authority.

What I can't grasp is why the U.S. administration wouldn't endorse this request. Here's a legitimate shot at disengaging from Iraq under close to best-case conditions - we wouldn't simply walk away, but instead would formally turn the mess over to the U.N. This alternative offers the U.S. a face-saving way out.

Does anyone have a better idea?