UNITED NATIONS, April 13 -- U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is expected to wrap up his mission to salvage Iraq's political transition on Wednesday and to publicly outline elements of a new formula for creating a provisional Iraqi government, according to U.S. and U.N. officials. But Secretary General Kofi Annan warned Tuesday that the surge of violence endangers the ability of the United Nations to reopen a mission in Baghdad to help during and after the transfer of power from the U.S.-led occupation. "For the foreseeable future, insecurity is going to be a major constraint for us," Annan said. "So I cannot say I'm going to be sending in a large U.N. team."
| "Buck-buc-buc-buc-CAAAAA!" |
After two of its proposals were rejected by influential Iraqi leaders, the Bush administration turned to the United Nations to mediate an alternative so the occupation can end as scheduled on June 30. After more than a week of talks with Iraqis, Brahimi on Monday previewed his plan to U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer and Robert Blackwill, the National Security Council's Iraq troubleshooter who has been in Baghdad during the Brahimi mission, U.S. officials said. Brahimi is expected to discuss parts of the plan at a news conference Wednesday in Baghdad, officials said. The draft includes two possible steps to form a government more representative than the current 25-member Governing Council, which includes former exiles who have limited popular support, according to recent polls.
One step calls for the United Nations, the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi leaders to choose members of a provisional government that would assume sovereignty on June 30. The second step calls for a small national convention, similar to the loya jirga held to select Afghanistan's postwar government, to create a large consultative body, according to officials from coalition countries familiar with the plan. If this plan is adopted, it could mean disbanding the Governing Council, although some of its members may have roles in either the first or second step.
| How about holding an election? I'm told that's one way to get a representative government. |
U.S. officials said they expect Brahimi to meet Wednesday with the son of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the supposedly popular Iraqi religious leader who rejected the earlier U.S. plans and called for direct elections. Sistani has also rejected the interim constitution because it doesn't give the Shi'ites everything they want was not produced by elected representatives. Brahimi is expected to discuss both issues with Sistani, U.S. officials said. Brahimi is then to return to New York for talks with Annan, officials said.
The Bush administration hopes the new U.N. plan will be a turning point that revives the deadlocked political process and provides momentum to counterbalance recent security problems, the officials say. "The United Nations is indeed moving the ball forward on the political issues, even while we deal with other issues of security," State Department spokesman Richard A. Boucher told reporters Tuesday.
Annan said he will delay a final decision on the future of the United Nations in Iraq until Brahimi returns to New York and "we reassess the situation." But his grim appraisal of what he called a "deteriorating situation" reflected mounting concern about the prospects for a significant U.N. role if violence does not subside.
| Maybe you'll let us handle security this time. Ask your employees' union. |
The U.N. chief said he was committed to U.S. plans to transfer sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, noting that Iraqis "are anxious to see the end of occupation as soon as possible." But he indicated that a U.N. timetable for holding national elections as early as January may lapse if the Iraqis fail to reach agreement on an election law by next month.
Annan's concern about security in Iraq comes as he battles a bureaucratic insurgency within the United Nations over Iraq policy. A group of about 60 midlevel U.N. staffers has formally protested Annan's decision to discipline a handful of U.N. officials for failing to provide adequate security at the Baghdad headquarters of the United Nations before the Aug. 19 terrorist attack killed 22 people there. The staffers said the organization's top leaders should accept greater responsibility for the tragedy.
| That would establish a precedent at the U.N. all right. |
Officials from the organization's peacekeeping, political affairs and emergency relief operations signed the letter, urging Annan to reconsider his decision and provide some of those punished with an opportunity to defend themselves, according to several officials who signed the document. |