May 6, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1424

AMMAN, May 5: Aid group Oxfam International said on Monday Iraqis should lead efforts to rebuild their country and not Western firms chosen by the United States and Britain in their role as occupying powers.

“The work of reconstruction needs to be led by Iraqis and done for the benefit of Iraqis not for commercial corporations appointed by the US and its allies,” Jo Nickolls, policy adviser on Iraq, said in an interview.

“We believe the successful reconstruction of Iraq is dependent on the swift establishment of a civilian government that properly represents all parties,” said Nickolls, whose aid group has since the war undertaken projects to rehabilitate water treatment plants and sanitation in southern Iraq.

Washington has given major US corporations multi-million dollar contracts for reconstruction work in Iraq since it occupied the Arab country in its war to oust former President Saddam Hussein.

The US civil administrator of Iraq, Jay Garner, said on Monday a collective interim leadership should be set up in Iraq by the middle of this month.

Only a credible Iraqi government had the mandate to make changes to the country’s infrastructure and wealth with a role for US-led forces to repair damaged infrastructure and restore public life and restore law and order, Nickolls said.

But this hinged on the success of a broad based Iraqi government that inspired confidence, the Oxfam official said.

“Once there is an Iraqi administration that will legitimize these decisions it would help the country to move forward...it will make a very big difference,” Nickolls said.

He said Oxfam was concerned that the United Nations has not been involved “as they should, to take a lead role because they are a multilateral institution they have a lot to contribute.”

Widespread disruption of the fabric of civil life in Iraq was partly the responsibility of the occupying powers, Oxfam said.

“We believe that at the moment the occupying power is failing in these duties, namely to protect civilians and (the) fabric of life inside Iraq,” said Alex Renton, Oxfam’s coordinator.—Reuters