UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13: In a compromise the United States has circulated a new draft UN resolution setting Dec 15 deadline for Iraq’s Governing Council to set a timeline for transferring power to Iraqis, council diplomats said here.
The Americans informally circulated the new draft among the council’s other 14 members over the weekend, diplomats said. The previous version of the resolution set no deadline and no timeline.
However, one council diplomat here told Dawn, “we have to see what France, Germany, Russia and China have to say about the new nuance in the resolution.”
But diplomats here said that the US wants input from all council members and would like to put the resolution to vote after consultations which will begin on Monday afternoon.
However, many diplomats here say that US needs to make more improvements in its resolution giving UN more authority in stabilizing Iraq and transferring power to the Iraqi people.
Over the weekend US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that his officials “have some ideas” for accommodating concerns raised by UN Security Council members over the latest US draft.
“We are trying to listen, take into account what we are hearing, and bring the community back together around the resolution,” Mr Powell said.
Mr Powell said he would know by early next week if new language proposed by American officials is agreeable, after talks by telephone with foreign ministers this weekend.
He said he would try to move quickly next week if the proposed changes gain support.
He said earlier in the day that he thought US officials were “making some progress.”
The United States hopes to encourage other nations to contribute troops and aid to Iraq with the resolution, but has run into concerns from some Security Council members and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Mr Powell made clear the proposed US changes would still preserve the basic US position.
The council, which was bitterly divided over the US-led war, is split over the timetable for transferring power to Iraqis and the UN role in stabilizing and rebuilding the war-battered country.
UN Secretary General Annan has all but ruled out any UN political role in Iraq while the US and UK are still the occupying powers.
