May 21, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18

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UNITED NATIONS, May 20: In an effort to lift the 13-year-old economic sanctions against Iraq by the UN Security Council, the United States on Monday made some more concessions upgrading the UN role.

The resolution which the US expects to be adopted by the end of the week, grants the United States and Britain wide-ranging powers to run Iraq and control its oil industry until a permanent government is established, which could take years.

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram, the current council president, scheduled a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to discuss the new draft and said he expected “fairly intensive discussion”.

He said his country believed the UN role had been strengthened. “We are now examining ways and means to rebuild Iraq, to restore peace and security in Iraq, and the approach of all members is constructive toward that end.”

The new draft gives the UN a clearly defined role in establishing a democratic government and increases the stature of a UN envoy in Iraq. But it also leaves the United States and Britain, as occupying powers, firmly in control of Iraq and its oil wealth until “an internationally recognized, representative government” takes office.

It asks Secretary-General Kofi Annan to appoint a special representative with “independent powers” to work with the United States and Britain “to facilitate a process leading to an internationally recognized, representative government of Iraq.” The previous texts referred to a UN “special coordinator,” a lower status.

The final draft leaves out an explicit endorsement of US and British occupation of Iraq for an initial 12-month period. Some council members did not want to have the United Nations legitimize the results of a war that the majority of the council did not support.

US Ambassador John Negroponte said Washington could offer further changes but it was unlikely. “Never say never,” he said. “But...we have gone just about as far as we can in meeting the concerns expressed by other delegations.”

The resolution, he said, foresaw no role for UN arms inspectors. But the new text mentions their mandate in UN resolutions since 1991, and opens the door for their return to verify Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.

Most controversial is shielding Iraq’s oil revenues and a special development fund set up to administer them until 2008 from any lawsuits, attachments or claims. This is usual for a fund administered by the United Nations but not one over which the world body has no power.

However, the new text says buyers of Iraqi oil are not necessarily immune from suits, such as cases of oil spills.

Money from the fund can be spent by the US and Britain for the benefit of the Iraqi people. An international board, including the United Nations, will monitor the fund.

Most diplomats here said they expected the resolution to be adopted under US pressure by Friday as the international community seemed helpless.