U.S. calls for vote on Iraq resolution

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States predicted that the Security Council will approve a new Iraq resolution despite its rejection of a key demand by France, Russia and Germany to add a timetable for the transfer of power to Iraqis.

Council diplomats said the resolution is likely to get at least the minimum nine "yes" votes needed for adoption on Wednesday. But the absence of a timetable diminished the possibility that it will be adopted with broad support from the 15 council members.

"It looks like the Americans are heading toward a divided vote -- and a divided vote with nine countries in favor and probably five or six abstentions," said Mexico's U.N. Ambassador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser. This will send the message "that there is no consensus in the council on how to proceed on the question of Iraq."

When the United States first talked about a new resolution six weeks ago, the primary aim was to get more countries to provide troops and money to help stabilize and rebuild Iraq. Those aims still hold, and the resolution would authorize a multinational force under U.S. command and call for "substantial pledges" from the 191 U.N. member states at a donors conference in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 23 to 24.

Major concessions

But the debate and focus of the resolution has shifted to the transfer of power from the British and American occupation to Iraqis. The French, Russians and Germans wanted a speedy transfer to a provisional Iraqi government but the United States and Britain insist that sovereignty can't be relinquished until Iraq drafts a new constitution and holds elections.

In an effort to reach a compromise with the United States on the pace of the transition from U.S. occupation, the three European powers made major concessions.

The timetable for a hand over was the centerpiece of a package of amendments offered by the three opponents of the U.S.-led war

They dropped their demands that power be handed over to an Iraqi provisional government within the next few months and that Secretary-General Kofi Annan be given the main political role in the transition. China supported their amendments.

Instead, the three countries proposed early Tuesday that Annan and the Security Council be given a role in establishing a timetable for transferring power, along with the U.S.-led coalition and the U.S.-picked Governing Council.

But the United States rejected the proposal, sticking with its original text that calls on the coalition "to return governing responsibilities and authorities to the people of Iraq as soon as practicable." Instead of a timetable, it added a request to the coalition to report to the Security Council "on the progress being made."

U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said the United States "made every effort possible" to accommodate "the concepts but not necessarily all the details" in the amendments proposed by France, Russia and Germany.

But Washington only wanted one deadline in the resolution which it proposed -- Dec. 15 for the Iraqi Governing Council to submit a timetable for drafting a constitution and holding elections, he said.

"We think the rest has to await developments on the ground rather than trying to artificially set a deadline here in New York," Negroponte told reporters after the council discussed the draft late into the night on Tuesday. "It's hard to predict things too far in advance."

French, Russian and German diplomats privately expressed disappointment at the rejection of the timetable but refused to comment publicly saying they needed to consult their capitals on the amended U.S. draft circulated Tuesday night.

France has ruled out using its veto, and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, in Austria, said Wednesday that "vetoing it is not an issue, for any side," according to the Austria News Agency.

Ivanov said the resolution should take into account the views of Moscow, Berlin and Paris "so that the unity of the world community in tackling the Iraq crisis is maintained."

His deputy, Yuri Fedotov, told the ITAR-Tass news agency that although Washington had compromised on some issues, "two or three key points" of disagreement remain.

"In its current form it would not be worth bringing the draft resolution for a vote," he said.

Earlier, France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere rejected a suggestion that his country -- which lobbied hard for power to be transferred to the Iraqis by the end of the year -- had capitulated.

But he called the package of amendments that the three countries proposed "the minimum" that they would accept "in a spirit of compromise."

As he left Tuesday night's council meeting, Germany's U.N. Ambassador Gunter Pleuger said: "I hope that the last version is not the last word."

But Negroponte signaled that negotiations were about to end.

"We'll be having a vote Wednesday afternoon on this draft Iraqi resolution," he said.

The United States wants a vote before Bush leaves for Asia on Thursday, Negroponte said.

"We certainly are hopeful for the prospect of adoption," Negroponte said. "We think in adopting it the council would be taking an important step forward in promoting the economic and political evolution of that country."

Even though the draft doesn't have a timetable, he said, "Let there be no doubt about it, it is our intention to encourage this political process to move forward as rapidly as possible."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, a cosponsor of the resolution, said it "makes clear that the cardinal aim is to transfer power back to the Iraqis as soon as possible."