THE HIRED MOUTHPIECE SAYS:
"We will have the US forces here, but they will change from occupiers to a force that is here at the invitation of the Iraqi Government,"
Timetable set for Iraq transfer
The US-led coalition in Iraq will hand over power to a transitional government by June 2004, the Iraqi Governing Council has said.
The announcement came after Iraqi leaders met the US chief administrator, Paul Bremer, in Baghdad.
Mr Bremer had earlier returned from the US, where plans for a faster handover were agreed at the White House.
The transitional body will prepare for a full sovereign Iraqi government by 2005, following a general election.
A BBC correspondent in Baghdad says the plan is a much faster process to achieving Iraqi sovereignty than the one previously laid out.
We will have the US forces here, but they will change from occupiers to a force that is here at the invitation of the Iraqi government
Ahmed Chalabi
Governing Council member
The move comes in the context of daily attacks on coalition troops, which continued on Saturday with fresh blasts in Baghdad.
Nevertheless, President George W Bush insists US soldiers will remain in Iraq until it is "free and peaceful".
Coalition forces could stay on in Iraq at the invitation of the new administration
Council President Jalal Talabani - speaking after the meeting with Mr Bremer - said the transitional body would be selected after consultations with "all parties" in Iraqi society.
Sunni Muslim council member Adnan Pachachi added: "The reason behind the setting up of this transitional government is to restore sovereignty, to end the occupation and to give a chance to a representative of the Iraqi people to represent Iraq."
'Iron Hammer'
One American soldier was killed and two injured by a roadside bomb in the centre of Baghdad.
An explosion was also heard in Baghdad on Saturday at about 1635 local time (1335GMT), with black smoke seen rising in the city centre.
Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill has been quoted as saying the coalition may have underestimated the desire of those loyal to the former regime to fight back.
Insurgents are now mounting about 30 attacks a day and have killed at least 160 US soldiers in Iraq since Bush declared major combat over on May 1.
US forces in Baghdad have hit back in the past few days with "Operation Iron Hammer", employing air strikes to destroy buildings they say were used by insurgents.
But more Iraqis have died in the guerrilla attacks than coalition troops - one estimate puts the toll at about 200 civilians since 1 May.
Early reaction
Under Mr Bremer's initial plan, a new constitution would have been drawn up before any transfer of sovereignty could have taken place.
But the new, speeded-up blueprint, gained positive reaction even before the announcement on Saturday.
"This is good for everyone," said council member Ahmed Chalabi, according to the New York Times.
"We will have the US forces here, but they will change from occupiers to a force that is here at the invitation of the Iraqi Government," he was quoted as saying.
Representatives of the majority Shia population also appeared pleased by the new proposal.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most senior Shia cleric, had issued a decree that the constitution should be written by an elected body - not the US-appointed 24 member Governing Council.
"Instead of starting with the constitutional process, it will come at the end of the road," said Adel Abdel-Mehdi of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), quoted by the Washington Post.
"We are reversing the whole process to meet the demands of all the parties," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk
Published: 2003/11/15 14:54:55 GMT |
