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By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer
WASHINGTON - Heading for talks with reluctant allies, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) says the United States won't turn over all authority in Iraq (news - web sites) to the United Nations (news - web sites).
"The U.N. isn't ready to handle it
," Powell told ARD, a German television station, in an interview released Friday as he flew to Geneva for the talks.
"We want to work with the U.N., but we can't simply cede all responsibility and authority to the U.N.," he said in advance of meetings Saturday with British, French, Russian and Chinese foreign ministers and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites).
The United States, hoping its allies will provide troops and money in the face of continued attacks and mounting costs in Iraq, has proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution creating a multinational force under a unified U.N. command with an American commander.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, in an article published Friday in the newspaper Le Monde, said a provisional Iraqi government should be set up in a month and a draft constitution should be ready by the end of the year.
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said in response that "the question of the time-scale first and foremost is for the Iraqis to answer. It's their country. We want to see them take sovereignty over that country as quickly as possible."
Powell, in an interview with France's TV2 that was taped Thursday and released Friday, said France keeps saying sovereignty should be given back to the Iraqi people.
"My answer to that is: 'Yes, as soon as we can. But to whom do we give it? We have to create a government. We have to create a parliament. We have to put in place a constitution after it's been written. We have to have elections,'" Powell said.
He said there obviously would be spirited discussion in Geneva, but "France is not an enemy. France is a friend and an ally."
Still, Powell said, the United States and its coalition partners in Iraq have invested a great deal of political capital, financial resources and the lives of young men and women. "We can't be expected to suddenly just step aside," he said.
Chances of nailing down an agreement this weekend in Geneva and at the United Nations in New York appear slim.
But Powell said, "I don't think there is a need to have a fight about this."
"Clearly the U.N. has a vital role to play," Powell said. "We've said this from the very beginning. And we should discuss and describe in the resolution what that role is."
Asked if the United Nations should play a leading role, Powell replied: "I said vital. I don't know what leading means."
Powell said Wednesday in an interview with Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite network financed by Qatar, that Iraq would face "total chaos" if the United States surrendered to demands for a hasty U.S. transfer of authority to Iraqi control.
Powell also said it was not practical at present for the United States to transfer control to the United Nations.
"We want to transfer sovereignty for Iraq from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqis as fast as we can, but we must do it in a responsible way," Powell said.
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer
WASHINGTON - Heading for talks with reluctant allies, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) says the United States won't turn over all authority in Iraq (news - web sites) to the United Nations (news - web sites).
"The U.N. isn't ready to handle it
," Powell told ARD, a German television station, in an interview released Friday as he flew to Geneva for the talks. "We want to work with the U.N., but we can't simply cede all responsibility and authority to the U.N.," he said in advance of meetings Saturday with British, French, Russian and Chinese foreign ministers and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites).
The United States, hoping its allies will provide troops and money in the face of continued attacks and mounting costs in Iraq, has proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution creating a multinational force under a unified U.N. command with an American commander.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, in an article published Friday in the newspaper Le Monde, said a provisional Iraqi government should be set up in a month and a draft constitution should be ready by the end of the year.
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said in response that "the question of the time-scale first and foremost is for the Iraqis to answer. It's their country. We want to see them take sovereignty over that country as quickly as possible."
Powell, in an interview with France's TV2 that was taped Thursday and released Friday, said France keeps saying sovereignty should be given back to the Iraqi people.
"My answer to that is: 'Yes, as soon as we can. But to whom do we give it? We have to create a government. We have to create a parliament. We have to put in place a constitution after it's been written. We have to have elections,'" Powell said.
He said there obviously would be spirited discussion in Geneva, but "France is not an enemy. France is a friend and an ally."
Still, Powell said, the United States and its coalition partners in Iraq have invested a great deal of political capital, financial resources and the lives of young men and women. "We can't be expected to suddenly just step aside," he said.
Chances of nailing down an agreement this weekend in Geneva and at the United Nations in New York appear slim.
But Powell said, "I don't think there is a need to have a fight about this."
"Clearly the U.N. has a vital role to play," Powell said. "We've said this from the very beginning. And we should discuss and describe in the resolution what that role is."
Asked if the United Nations should play a leading role, Powell replied: "I said vital. I don't know what leading means."
Powell said Wednesday in an interview with Al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite network financed by Qatar, that Iraq would face "total chaos" if the United States surrendered to demands for a hasty U.S. transfer of authority to Iraqi control.
Powell also said it was not practical at present for the United States to transfer control to the United Nations.
"We want to transfer sovereignty for Iraq from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqis as fast as we can, but we must do it in a responsible way," Powell said.
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