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UNITED NATIONS, Sept 10: France and Germany have offered the United States a deal that effectively recognizes an Iraqi transitional government, but downgrades the US political role in the occupied state, according to documents circulated on Wednesday.
In preparation for a meeting of key Security Council foreign minister in Geneva on Saturday, France and Germany jointly submitted amendments to a US-drafted resolution aimed at getting more international troops and money to Iraq. Russia presented separate proposals.
Reacting to the Franco-German proposal, US President George Bush signalled a willingness to compromise on the draft, saying he was “open for suggestions”.
“Let us not get caught up in past bickering. Let us move forward,” Mr Bush told reporters during a meeting at the White House with Kuwait’s prime minister, Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Sabah.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said talks were underway with France and Germany on their proposed changes, and added: “When you negotiate a resolution, by definition there’s a little bit of give and take.”
France and Russia are permanent members with veto power on the council along with the United States, Britain and China. Germany is serving a two-year term on the 15-member body.
France, Germany and Russia advocate a stronger United Nations role to supervise the process of arranging for elections and eventual restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.
Their proposals would virtually shut out current US-led occupation authorities from much of the political process, a concept US Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Minister Jack Straw were certain to reject.
The United States said it did not believe many at the United Nations were enthusiastic about taking over in Iraq, especially after the the Aug 19 bombing of the UN compound in Baghdad in which 24 people were killed.
“Right now the United Nations has actually drawn down their personnel in Baghdad because of the tragic, horrible bombing a couple of weeks ago,” Deputy US Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters in Washington.
“I don’t think many in the United Nations are standing up raising their hand to take this over,” he said.
Saturday’s meeting was called by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to try to break the impasse on the resolution. In addition to Mr Powell and Mr Straw, Foreign Ministers Igor Ivanov of Russia, Dominique de Villepin of France and Li Zhaoxing of China will attend.
DOWNGRADED US ROLE:? The Franco-German amendment would endorse a US-selected Iraqi Governing Council and its cabinet as “the trustee of Iraqi sovereignty until the processes leading to an elected and fully representative government are completed”.
US officials were expected to welcome this, but were likely to reject proposals aimed at ending the occupation and downgrading further the US role.
The US draft resolution would change the name of the occupying troops to a multinational force, authorized by the United Nations, but under a US command. This was to encourage troops from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and other nations to provide an estimate 15,000 troops.
The United States has some 130,000 military personnel in Iraq, followed by 11,000 from Britain and 12,000 from other nations.
The Russian proposal would give the occupying force a mandate of one year after which the Security Council can extend it. The mandate would end after Kofi Annan reports that foreign troops were no longer necessary.
The Frenco-German proposals also insist that “effective international participation and oversight” was necessary over economic reconstruction money, particularly a development fund, in which oil revenues were to be deposited.
Under a previous resolution the United States and Britain have dominant decision-making. But an international advisory board, not yet established, was to audit the books.
CONCILIATORY TONE: After the bitter UN dispute over whether to go to war in Iraq earlier this year, Mr Bush sounded a conciliatory tone as he sought to get Security Council backing for the draft resolution.
It was a shift from Mr Bush’s insistence that the United States and Britain would take the lead role in Iraq.
“I don’t think they’re opposed to a resolution,” Mr Bush said, adding: “They may want to try to fine-tune a resolution, and ... we’re open for suggestions.”
While Mr Bush said he was open to suggestions on the resolution, he insisted that Iraqi’s governing council retain the authority to “come up with a timetable for elections”.
“They’re making good progress there now. They’ve got ministers in charge of key parts of the country. They are beginning to put in place a timetable necessary for the writing of a constitution and there will be free elections. And that ought to be decided by the governing council,” Mr Bush said.
The president said Mr Powell would be “going around the world” asking countries to make “serious contributions” to the peacekeeping and reconstruction effort.
“I once again make that plea,” Mr Bush said. “We expect and hope that our friends contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq. It is in your interest that you do so.”—Reuters
