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| Iraq |
| U.S. to Offer Revised Iraq Draft at U.N. |
| 2003-09-16 |
| Edited to just the new stuff. UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States will likely circulate a revised U.N. resolution on Iraq by the end of the week after studying proposed amendments by France, Russia, Syria, Chile and other Security Council members, diplomats said Monday. Foreign ministers of the five veto-wielding U.N. powers discussed Iraq in Geneva on Saturday for the first time since the divisive U.S.-led war. Their talks highlighted the gap between the United States and France, Russia and China on a timetable for restoring Iraq’s sovereignty. "We’re all regrouping," said U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, who was in Geneva with Secretary of State Colin Powell. "I’m awaiting Secretary Powell’s return from his consultations in Baghdad, but I would expect that sometime during the course of this week this process of trying to move the resolution forward would once again resume." Get it moving forward so that the French can veto it. Faster, please. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who hosted the Geneva talks, said the question of a timetable has become a key issue. France has called for a speedy transition to Iraqi rule: a provisional Iraqi government in place within a month, a draft constitution by the end of the year, and elections next spring. Russia and China also want a quick restoration of Iraq’s sovereignty, though perhaps not that fast. But the United States said the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council must be the guiding force in setting a timetable for drafting a constitution and elections. Powell stuck by this principle after the Geneva meeting. Stuck to his guns. Good. Diplomats said the Geneva talks made no headway in bridging the divide. "We need now to listen to the Americans about their plans," said Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Gennady Gatilov. "It seems that not much was achieved in Geneva." France echoed this assessment, council diplomats said on condition of anonymity. Even better. France’s ambassador to Washington Jean-David Levitte said Monday that Paris would like to add two points to the draft resolution. "First, a symbolic transfer of a sovereignty of Iraq in the hands of Troops are not enough for security and "it is important to give the Iraqi people the message of empowerment," Levitte said. "Not that we would have ever done that on our own, certainly not!" Initially, the British, who hold the Security Council presidency this month, and some Americans talked of getting a new Iraq resolution approved before the General Assembly. But that seems almost impossible given the deep divisions. Almost impossible? Hey, the new UN sig line! |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Why is the UN even being bothered with? It couldn't be counted on at the start, and it can't be counted on now. Screw the UN and let it die already. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-9-16 10:51:51 PM |
| #2 Phrawnce can suck hind tit and learn to like it. |
| Posted by: .com (Prez for Life - My Isles of Langerhans) 2003-9-16 5:32:37 AM |
| #1 "The Almost Impossible We Don't Do - We Just Demand It Of Others!" |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-9-16 12:48:29 AM |