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France, Germany Criticize Iraq Resolution
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France, Germany Criticize Iraq Resolution
13 minutes ago
DRESDEN, Germany - The leaders of Germany and France on Thursday criticized a U.S. push for international help in Iraq (news - web sites), saying the United Nations (news - web sites) should guide Iraq's political rebuilding and that more responsibility must be turned over to Iraqi leaders.
The comments from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac were a response to the United States' proposed U.N. resolution seeking troops and money for Iraq's postwar reconstruction but declining to relinquish political or military control of the country.
Schroeder and Chirac, both adamant opponents of the war in Iraq, said they wanted to see a greater role for the United Nations in guiding the country's reconstruction. Such a role was not included in the draft U.N. resolution circulated by the United States on Wednesday.
"We are naturally ready to study it in the most positive manner," Chirac said. "But we are quite far removed from what we believe is the priority objective, which is the transfer of political responsibility to an Iraqi government as quickly as possible."
Schroeder said the draft resolution had brought "movement" into the diplomacy. But he added: "I agree with the president when he says: Not dynamic enough, not sufficient."
The statements dealt a blow to the proposed U.S. resolution. France is one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, a position that gives it veto power over Council actions.
The U.S. resolution was made public Wednesday. The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, would transform the U.S.-led military force in Iraq into a U.N.-authorized multinational force under a unified command. It would also ask the Iraqi Governing Council to cooperate with the United Nations and U.S. officials in Baghdad to produce a timetable and program for drafting a new constitution and holding democratic elections.
Key provisions in the U.S. draft would:
_ Call on U.N. member states to help train and equip an Iraqi police force.
_ Invite the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council to cooperate with the United Nations and U.S. officials in Baghdad to produce "a timetable and program for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections."
_ Ask the U.N. representative in Iraq to facilitate a "national dialogue and consensus building" to promote the political transition.
_ Ask all U.N. member states and international and regional organizations "to accelerate the provision of substantial financial contributions to support the Iraqi reconstruction effort" and appeal to international financial institutions to take immediate steps to provide a full range of loans and other assistance.
_Call on countries in the region "to prevent the transit of terrorists, arms for terrorists, and financing that would support terrorists."
But Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites), who outlined the U.S. proposal at a news conference Wednesday, made clear that "the United States will continue to play a dominant role" both politically and militarily. An American commander would take charge of the multinational force and U.S. civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer would keep the top political post, he said.
To council nations that want responsibilities in Iraq to be shared, Powell said, "With the resolution, you're essentially putting the Security Council into the game."
On Thursday, reaction from Security Council members was mixed. Hours before Schroeder and Chirac spoke, Russia sent its first signal that it might consider sending peacekeepers to Iraq as part of an international force.
"It all depends on a specific resolution. I wouldn't exclude it outright," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told the Interfax news agency.
And in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said the U.S. offer to share Iraq's postwar reconstruction was in line with the objectives of China, which has "actively participated" in the effort to increase U.N. participation.
"We have all along stood for the early restoration of stability throughout Iraq," Kong said. "We have stood for the important growth of the United Nations in this endeavor."
He didn't provide details. China's foreign policy is typically cautious, and — publicly, at least — it is reluctant to intervene officially in conflicts. But Beijing opposed unilateral American military action in Iraq and said all such activity should go through the United Nations.
U.S. diplomats are expected to engage in behind-the-scenes negotiations on the resolution's text, first with the veto-wielding permanent members, then with the rest of the Security Council.
Powell discussed the resolution Wednesday with his Russian, German and French counterparts as well as with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites). He said he expected to get reaction and suggestions to the resolution from fellow Security Council members by the end of the week.
"We will see where we are at the beginning of (next) week and push it as aggressively as we can," he said.
Powell said he didn't foresee "an extended process" of negotiations. Other council diplomats said they would like the resolution to be adopted before ministers gather for the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23.
But some European countries are likely to resist if the United States continues to try to hold on to all the lucrative and influential ventures, such as oil contracts and the political rebuilding process, according to some council diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The postwar operation is costing the United States about $3.9 billion a month and has strained the American military, which has some 140,000 troops stationed in Iraq.
The resolution envisions a substantial infusion of international aid to defray costs now largely borne by U.S. taxpayers. At the same time, the administration is preparing a new budget request for $60 billion to $70 billion for reconstruction and the military operation of Iraq — nearly double what Congress was expecting, The Washington Post reported.
France, Germany Criticize Iraq Resolution
13 minutes ago
DRESDEN, Germany - The leaders of Germany and France on Thursday criticized a U.S. push for international help in Iraq (news - web sites), saying the United Nations (news - web sites) should guide Iraq's political rebuilding and that more responsibility must be turned over to Iraqi leaders.
The comments from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac were a response to the United States' proposed U.N. resolution seeking troops and money for Iraq's postwar reconstruction but declining to relinquish political or military control of the country.
Schroeder and Chirac, both adamant opponents of the war in Iraq, said they wanted to see a greater role for the United Nations in guiding the country's reconstruction. Such a role was not included in the draft U.N. resolution circulated by the United States on Wednesday.
"We are naturally ready to study it in the most positive manner," Chirac said. "But we are quite far removed from what we believe is the priority objective, which is the transfer of political responsibility to an Iraqi government as quickly as possible."
Schroeder said the draft resolution had brought "movement" into the diplomacy. But he added: "I agree with the president when he says: Not dynamic enough, not sufficient."
The statements dealt a blow to the proposed U.S. resolution. France is one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, a position that gives it veto power over Council actions.
The U.S. resolution was made public Wednesday. The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, would transform the U.S.-led military force in Iraq into a U.N.-authorized multinational force under a unified command. It would also ask the Iraqi Governing Council to cooperate with the United Nations and U.S. officials in Baghdad to produce a timetable and program for drafting a new constitution and holding democratic elections.
Key provisions in the U.S. draft would:
_ Call on U.N. member states to help train and equip an Iraqi police force.
_ Invite the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council to cooperate with the United Nations and U.S. officials in Baghdad to produce "a timetable and program for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections."
_ Ask the U.N. representative in Iraq to facilitate a "national dialogue and consensus building" to promote the political transition.
_ Ask all U.N. member states and international and regional organizations "to accelerate the provision of substantial financial contributions to support the Iraqi reconstruction effort" and appeal to international financial institutions to take immediate steps to provide a full range of loans and other assistance.
_Call on countries in the region "to prevent the transit of terrorists, arms for terrorists, and financing that would support terrorists."
But Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites), who outlined the U.S. proposal at a news conference Wednesday, made clear that "the United States will continue to play a dominant role" both politically and militarily. An American commander would take charge of the multinational force and U.S. civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer would keep the top political post, he said.
To council nations that want responsibilities in Iraq to be shared, Powell said, "With the resolution, you're essentially putting the Security Council into the game."
On Thursday, reaction from Security Council members was mixed. Hours before Schroeder and Chirac spoke, Russia sent its first signal that it might consider sending peacekeepers to Iraq as part of an international force.
"It all depends on a specific resolution. I wouldn't exclude it outright," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told the Interfax news agency.
And in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said the U.S. offer to share Iraq's postwar reconstruction was in line with the objectives of China, which has "actively participated" in the effort to increase U.N. participation.
"We have all along stood for the early restoration of stability throughout Iraq," Kong said. "We have stood for the important growth of the United Nations in this endeavor."
He didn't provide details. China's foreign policy is typically cautious, and — publicly, at least — it is reluctant to intervene officially in conflicts. But Beijing opposed unilateral American military action in Iraq and said all such activity should go through the United Nations.
U.S. diplomats are expected to engage in behind-the-scenes negotiations on the resolution's text, first with the veto-wielding permanent members, then with the rest of the Security Council.
Powell discussed the resolution Wednesday with his Russian, German and French counterparts as well as with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites). He said he expected to get reaction and suggestions to the resolution from fellow Security Council members by the end of the week.
"We will see where we are at the beginning of (next) week and push it as aggressively as we can," he said.
Powell said he didn't foresee "an extended process" of negotiations. Other council diplomats said they would like the resolution to be adopted before ministers gather for the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23.
But some European countries are likely to resist if the United States continues to try to hold on to all the lucrative and influential ventures, such as oil contracts and the political rebuilding process, according to some council diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The postwar operation is costing the United States about $3.9 billion a month and has strained the American military, which has some 140,000 troops stationed in Iraq.
The resolution envisions a substantial infusion of international aid to defray costs now largely borne by U.S. taxpayers. At the same time, the administration is preparing a new budget request for $60 billion to $70 billion for reconstruction and the military operation of Iraq — nearly double what Congress was expecting, The Washington Post reported.
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