/ 4 June 2004

Iraq minister to ask UN for more power

Iraq’s interim Foreign Minister, Hoshiyar Zebari, flew to New York on Wednesday night, determined to press the United Nations Security Council for ”as much sovereignty as possible” during talks on Thursday over a new draft resolution.

The United States-British proposal, revealed on Tuesday, is designed to underpin the country’s transition from occupation to independence.

It gives Ayad Allawi’s new interim government control of the Iraqi army and police, and provides for the withdrawal of the US-led multinational force by January 2006, after full elections and the passing of a permanent Constitution. But an aide to the prime minister-designate in Baghdad said on Wednesday that the new Iraqi government was ”determined to be able to rule without interference. That way the government can gain the acceptance of people until elections”.

Critics of the new draft say that the resolution still needs to spell out whether Iraqi troops have the right to refuse a military order from the US command. Richard Armitage, the US Deputy Secretary of State, said this week: ”As a sovereign government, they would have to be able to refuse.”

But he added: ”These are the kind of things that are worked out on the ground between the multinational force commander and the sovereign government.”

Zebari’s presence in New York was seen as a sign of progress by the few Iraqis who knew of the trip. After the first US-British draft had appeared many complained that Iraqis had not been consulted.

”Iraq was previously an observer and now it participates. That is very important,” said Mahmoud Othman, a prominent member of the Iraqi governing council, which was dissolved on Tuesday.

This week Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN envoy, urged Iraqis to push ahead with preparations for a national conference to be held in July, along the lines of Afghanistan’s loya jirga. Brahimi said about 60 leading Iraqis would be touring the country to help organise the event, which is intended with draw together about 1 000 Iraqi leaders. They will select a council of about 80 people to oversee the government’s work.

”It’s more than a consultative body but it’s less than a legislative body,” Brahimi told a news conference.

The council would have the power to overrule the government on a two-thirds vote and to name ministers if any posts fall vacant. — Â