IRAQ Pushing for more control

An Iraqi government official expressed his views on the U.N. resolution.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Iraq's foreign minister said U.S.-led forces are keeping his country from falling into chaos and must stay, but he joined key Security Council nations in insisting that a U.N. resolution ensure greater Iraqi control over its own security.
Hoshyar Zebari appeared before the Security Council on Thursday, two days after he was named part of the 33-member interim government that will assume sovereignty from the U.S.-led coalition on June 30.
"I stress that any premature departure of international troops would lead to chaos and the real possibility of a civil war in Iraq," Zebari said. "This would cause a humanitarian crisis and provide a foothold for terrorists."
But Zebari tempered his support for the more than 150,000 foreign troops in Iraq by calling for the U.S.-British draft resolution on the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty to be more specific about the powers of the interim government and its relationship with the multinational force.
He said the resolution must underline "the transfer of full sovereignty to the people of Iraq" and authorize the interim government "to control, administer and manage Iraq's resources and assets."
Chalabi
Zebari also indicated support for former Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi, calling him "a friend" of the new interim government. Chalabi has been shunned by his American backers and now faces accusations of passing secret information to Iran.
"We are sorry to hear all these difficulties, all these rumors, all this investigation going on. Chalabi still in my view will have a role to play," Zebari said. "He has fought very hard to have the regime of Saddam Hussein toppled and we are following this news and development with great distress."
Zebari welcomed the endorsement of the interim government by Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, saying it was a "positive and important signal."
The revised draft -- the second try at reaching consensus -- says the mandate for the multinational force will end with the installation of a government elected under a constitution to be drafted later this year. That installation isn't expected until December 2005 or January 2006.
Zebari said he opposed "a fixed deadline or timetable" for the multinational force -- something Algeria, Pakistan and China have called for.
Other news
In other developments:
* A U.N. advisory team has selected an eight-member independent electoral commission and adopted voting rules in the first major step toward national elections due by Jan. 31, a U.N. official said today.
The United Nations said a commission would have to be established and rules issued this month if elections are to be held by the end of January as provided for under the U.S. blueprint for handing over power to the Iraqis.
* The transfer of sovereignty to Iraq's interim government on June 30 will include control of prisons and could lead to the handover of Saddam Hussein for trial by Iraqis, Britain's U.N. ambassador said.
Saddam has been held in an undisclosed location since his Dec. 13 capture by U.S. forces and is being interrogated by the CIA and FBI. The United States considers him a prisoner of war and has said it intends to eventually hand him over to Iraqis for trial.