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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lurqer who wrote (29393)	10/2/2003 2:35:07 PM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Back to the drawing board? Better hurry up. Donors' Conference in three weeks. Revised US draft for a UN resolution, not well received. Oops, maybe a tiny change at the margin, isn't "going to do it". So much for the Crawford Strategy? Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday a new U.S. draft resolution on Iraq does not follow his recommendation for a quick transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government. A quick transfer would facilitate the United Nations' work in Iraq and make it easier for other countries to contribute troops and money without having to go through the U.S.-British occupation authorities. The revised resolution endorses a step-by-step transfer of authority to an Iraqi interim administration but sets no timetable for the handover of sovereignty and leaves the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in overall control until elections are held at some future unspecified date. France, Germany and Russia who opposed the U.S.-led war on Iraq have also called for a quick transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis, with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin saying it could be done by the end of the year. France and Russia had no immediate comment on the new draft while Germany gave a warm initial response. In conversations during the General Assembly's ministerial session over the last two weeks and in a published interview, Annan has recommended quickly setting up an interim Iraqi government, which would assume power. This would allow the United Nations to work directly with the government, and make it easier for other countries to contribute troops and money, the secretary-general has said according to U.N. diplomats. The resolution aims at getting more countries to contribute troops and money to Iraq. As the bill for running and rebuilding the country has mounted, President Bush has failed to get troop commitments even from some of his closest allies, like Pakistan, who want a U.N. mandate first. The new draft like the previous one would transform the U.S.-led coalition force into a multinational force. The United States, as leader of the force, would report to the Security Council at least every six months. Though the new U.S. draft doesn't set a timeline, Secretary of State Colin Powell said last week he envisions the process of drafting a new Iraqi constitution to take six months. Annan has said handing over sovereignty quickly would enable the Iraqis to take more time to write a constitution, noting that the United Nations has found that the process has taken up to two years in other countries, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity. ''Obviously, it's not going in the direction I had recommended, but I will still have to study it further,'' Annan told reporters on Thursday. from boston.com JMO lurqer