Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Many questions asked by the U.N. Security Council could not be answered.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Iraq's caretaker government must be chosen by the end of May so it can properly prepare to take power a month later and reach a new agreement with U.S.-led forces that will remain in control of security, the U.N. envoy for Iraq said.
U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that many obstacles to the hand-over remain, but it can be done -- even in the face of violence that has killed hundreds of Iraqis and dozens of coalition troops in recent weeks.
As Brahimi briefed the council, the coalition launched an attack in Fallujah, putting the issue of security front and center. The assault came after American troops killed 64 gunmen near the southern city of Najaf.
"The sooner a credible Iraqi government is in place to lead the way, the better, especially because the absence of such a sovereign government is part of the problem in the first place," Brahimi told council diplomats.
According to a plan that Brahimi advocates, the caretaker government will oversee Iraq from the time it takes power June 30 until national elections in the end of January 2005. He warned that "there will be potentially dangerous pitfalls and massive obstacles at every step of the way."
"We are still at the early stage ... but I think that the job can be done, in particular because the Iraqis desperately need it and want it -- and we will do our very best to help," he said.
Questions remain
The council welcomed Brahimi's "provisional ideas" for an interim government. But members asked many questions that weren't answered because the caretaker government is still a work in progress.
"He's laid out an overall sketch of the political direction in which we're headed, but now the flesh has to be put on those bones," said U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte.
Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said he expected outstanding questions to be answered in the coming months, but other council members were less certain.
"The general attitude was positive," said Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Gennady Gatilov. But when asked if the hand-over was feasible, Gatilov replied, "I don't think that even Brahimi knows the answer."
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