May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

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UNITED NATIONS, May 16: In a bid to appease the UN Security Council members the United States on Thursday revised its draft resolution on immediately lifting sanctions against Iraq. It also indicated that it might agree to suspend the resolution rather than end it completely as asked for by France and Russia.

The resolution, which was to be discussed again on Friday, still gives wide-ranging powers to the United States and Britain to run Iraq and decide how to spend its oil wealth until a permanent government is established.

Most Council members want UN to play the central role in running Iraq and handling its oil revenues.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, as head of the UN Security Council for this month, told reporters that greater UN involvement in postwar Iraq would make conditions more transparent, reducing criticism of the United States and Britain.

The text, a US official pointed out, included more than 25 changes suggested by the 15 council members, although many were cosmetic. The United States expects a vote next week.

The new draft, increases the role of a UN envoy in Iraq, called a coordinator, but leaves most of his or her duties vague, a persistent criticism by Russia, France, Germany, China and others.

RUSSIA, CHINA: Russia and China believe that the US-proposed draft UN resolution to lift sanctions on Iraq needs serious changes, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency on Friday, AFP adds from Moscow.

“In its current form, the draft resolution presents serious problems for our countries,” Fedotov said after talks with Chinese counterpart Yang Wenchang.

In the view of both China and Russia, the resolution “requires serious changes,” he added.