US oks greater UN oversight of Iraq ( 2003-09-27 11:01) (Agencies)
The United States has agreed
to give the United Nations a bigger political role in overseeing Iraq's
transition to democracy, an American official said Friday, while Britain and
Spain welcomed a tentative U.S. timeline for handing over power to an elected
Iraqi government.
Secretary of State Colin Powell set out the timeline for drafting a
constitution and holding elections, possibly in a little more than a year, but
stressed it was not a deadline with dire consequences.
The United States is pushing for a new U.N. resolution to try to get more
countries to contribute troops and money to Iraq, but faces opposition from
France, Germany and several other Security Council nations that want Washington
to relinquish power quickly and give the United Nations more say in the process.
An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United
States has agreed to give the world body a bigger role in the election and the
political transition from one-party rule under Saddam Hussein to a democracy.
"We've promised to turn that process over to the U.N. So I think you've seen
the United States move quite a bit," the U.S. official said.
In his Tuesday speech before the General Assembly, President Bush spoke
broadly about a need for global help and outlined a limited role for the United
Nations in writing an Iraqi constitution, training civil servants and overseeing
elections.
Powell met with ministers from the 14 other Security Council nations, and
dozens of others concerned about the instability in Iraq — including two
bombings at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad in a month. He then returned to
Washington late Friday to work on a revised resolution.
"Colin Powell told us today ... that he is going back to Washington with a
very, very broad set of suggestions, proposals, that he's going to be very
serious about that, and then next week (the) American government ... will
present a new version of the draft of the resolution," Polish Foreign Minister
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said after Powell met his European Union
counterparts.
The U.S. official said the timeline suggested by Powell was a response to the
French.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, stopped en route to a meeting
at U.N. headquarters, refused to answer a question seeking his reaction.
Germany said Powell's idea would have to flow into negotiations on the new
resolution, but refused to categorize it in any way.
Germany's stand, expressed repeatedly by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder,
remains that there should be a return to Iraqi sovereignty as soon as possible,
but with a "realistic" timeline, Foreign Ministry spokesman Walter Lindner said
in Berlin.
Britain welcomed Powell's statement.
"We are committed to elections during the course of next year, and hope this
fits in with that," a Foreign Office spokesman in London said on condition of
anonymity.
Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio told The Associated Press she was
encouraged.
"I think that we need a timetable," she said. "This would be a good sign for
the Iraqi people and for the international public opinion — that the process is
there, that the full exercise of sovereignty by the Iraqi people is on its way
after so many decades of a brutal government."
Powell said the timeline was part of a plan outlined by the U.S. civilian
administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, to give power back to the Iraqis.
"Six months seems to be a good timeline to put out there for the creation of
this constitution, and also to give a sense of momentum and purpose to the
effort of moving toward full restoration of authority over Iraq to the Iraqi
people," Powell said after a high-level meeting concerning the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"If it's possible to meet that goal of finishing the constitutional work in
six months, then it is quite appropriate to consider that shortly thereafter the
people would be able to ratify such a constitution and prepare for elections.
"Some people say it would be another six months for elections, but we really
can't be precise about it."
Bremer told a Pentagon news conference that a preparatory committee
named by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council will produce a report
Tuesday detailing how to proceed with a constitutional convention. However, it
is unclear when the writing of the constitution will begin.
Responding to a question, Powell said, "The six months we anticipate would
begin with the formation of the constitutional group and the beginning of their
work."
