France, Germany, Russia say Iraqis need more control

UNITED NATIONS -- In amendments to a U.S. draft resolution, France, Germany and Russia are urging a speedy transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to an interim Iraqi administration.

The amendments, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, demand more power for Iraqis and the United Nations in running the country.

The amendments were given to the United States ahead of a meeting called by Secretary General Kofi Annan to try to get the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members to unite behind a plan to stabilize Iraq. Foreign ministers of the five -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- are expected to attend the meeting Saturday in Geneva.

U.S. deputy ambassador James Cunningham said the Geneva meeting wouldn't focus on the amendment text, but on what needs to be done to get the international community to come together "to get the job that we want done in Iraq."

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Wednesday the 15 EU nations were still "a long way from achieving consensus both among ourselves and with other members of the Security Council -- but I do hope it will be possible to achieve some agreement."

No time frame

The U.S. draft resolution invites 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."

But it contains no time frame of when this should happen, and it leaves the key decision in the hands of the Governing Council, which has taken months just to form a Cabinet. The United States believes the Iraqis must remain in charge of this process -- but France, Germany and Russia want a much faster timetable.

The French-German amendments call for immediately "initiating under the auspices of the U.N. a new process leading ... to the full restoration of Iraqi authority."

They call for an interim Iraqi administration to take control of "all civilian areas, including control over natural resources and use of international assistance."

The French-German amendments and separate Russian amendments ask the secretary-general to assist the Governing Council in developing a timetable for drafting a constitution and holding elections.

The Russians don't go as far as the French and Germans in demanding the immediate handover of authority to the Iraqis.

Moscow's proposal endorses the principle of Iraqis governing themselves quickly, saying the Iraqi interim administration should "be gradually assuming more executive authority" as it implements the timetable toward elections.

A key aim of the U.S. draft is to get countries such as Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh the U.N. authorization they say they need before committing any troops to Iraq.

It would transform the U.S.-led coalition force into a U.N.-authorized multinational one under a unified command to help maintain "security and stability in Iraq" and urge the 191 U.N.-member states to contribute troops.

Some council members have raised questions about whether the United States plans to keep the coalition force now in Iraq separate from the multinational force. The Russian amendments calls for making clear the coalition force part of a new multinational force under a unified command led by the United States.

The United States also wants the resolution to spur financial contributions for Iraq's reconstruction. President Bush said Sunday he will ask Congress for $87 billion primarily for Iraq, but also for Afghanistan.