U.S. offers to boost U.N. role and transfer power 'quickly'

The United Nations would not have the primary role in the transfer to democracy.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United States sought to answer France, Germany, Russia and other critics with a new resolution on Iraq that gives the United Nations a larger role and endorses a step-by-step transfer of authority to an Iraqi interim administration.
"The day when Iraqis govern themselves must come quickly," said the resolution obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. It called on the U.S.-led coalition running Iraq "to continue its practice of transferring as quickly as practicable effective and substantial executive responsibility."
But the new measure did not set a timetable for the Americans and British to hand over power -- a key demand especially of France, which has called for sovereignty to be transferred by the end of the year.
U.N.'s role
On the key issue of U.N. involvement, the draft says the world body "should strengthen its vital role in Iraq." It would authorize the United Nations to assist the Iraqi Governing Council in preparing a constitution and holding elections.
It encourages Secretary-General Kofi Annan to consider providing assistance to help draft the constitution, conduct elections, reform the judiciary and civil service, and train an Iraqi police force.
But the resolution does not give the United Nations the primary role in overseeing Iraq's political transition to a democratic state that some countries sought.
The United States wasted no time after it took over the presidency of the Security Council on Wednesday in calling a meeting to distribute the revised text to the other four veto-wielding council nations -- Russia, China, France and Britain.
There was no immediate reaction, though one council diplomat said the sense was that Russia and China thought the resolution was in the right direction.
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte scheduled a council meeting today to distribute the new draft to the 10 elected nonpermanent council members.
Speaking today
A representative of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, possibly Ahmad Chalabi, was scheduled to speak today at the final session of the General Assembly's annual ministerial debate.
"We would like to move expeditiously on it," Negroponte said. "We'd also like to see the resolution in place, if possible, well in advance of the upcoming donors conference in Madrid" on Oct. 23-24 for Iraq.
The new resolution aims at getting more countries to contribute troops and money to Iraq.
Some potential troop contributors have refused to commit soldiers unless a multinational force is deployed under a U.N. umbrella. Some potential donors want greater transparency in the handling of money for Iraq's reconstruction and a fund that's independent of the occupying powers -- an issue not addressed in the new draft. Pakistan, a possible contributor of soldiers, would like the multinational force to have "an identity which does not make it seem to be an extension of the occupation force, of the coalition force," Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram said. "That's something we'd like to see, particularly if the Iraqis desire Islamic countries to come in."
Multinational force
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.
The revised resolution spells out for the first time that the force will ensure "necessary conditions" for adopting a constitution and holding elections as well as protect U.N. offices, the U.S.-appointed Iraqi interim government, and other key institutions.
It reiterates the call to the 191 U.N. member states to contribute military forces and to increase financial aid. It makes a similar appeal to international financial institutions, urging they take "immediate steps to provide the full range of loans and other financial assistance to Iraq."
The United States first circulated a working draft in late August and received major amendments from France, Germany, Russia and Syria -- all opponents of the U.S.-led war.
Last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell proposed a six-month time frame for adoption of a constitution, and perhaps another six months for elections.
and sovereignty to be transferred. But the revised resolution has no timetable because Washington wanted to give the Iraqi Governing Council some flexibility, council diplomats said.
The original draft would have endorsed the Governing Council "as the principal body of the Iraqi interim administration." The revised text keeps the description, but drops the endorsement.
Cooperation call
The new resolution reiterated the U.S. call for the Governing Council to cooperate with the coalition and U.N. officials in drawing up a timetable for drafting a new constitution and holding democratic elections.
It urges the council to complete the drafting of a constitution "quickly."
In a new provision, the resolution "affirms that the administration of Iraq will be progressively undertaken by the evolving structures of the Iraqi interim administration."
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