United States, Britain to present new U.N. resolution on Iraq

UNITED NATIONS — The United States and Britain are ready to present a key U.N. resolution that will detail the June 30 handover of power to a new Iraqi government and outline how much say Iraqis will have over armed forces in their country.

The U.N. Security Council was expected to discuss the draft resolution behind closed doors Monday morning, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The presentation comes just hours before President Bush is to lay out his vision for the new Iraqi government in a nationally televised speech. With Bush's approval ratings sinking after a series of setbacks in Iraq, the president is eager to reassure voters he still has a political and security blueprint that can stabilize Iraq.

At the same time, U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is trying to get broad agreement on the makeup of the interim Iraqi government due to take power on June 30.

Brahimi will likely announce by the end of this week the names of a president and prime minister, as well as two vice presidents and Cabinet ministers, Iraqi Governing Council member Adnan Pachachi told the Kuwait News Agency Monday.

Filling the top two posts will be Brahimi's most challenging task, since Iraq's three main groups — the Shiite majority and the large Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities — all want a representative either as president or prime minister.

Brahimi said the new government will reflect Iraq's "wide diversity," but he did not say when the posts would be announced.

The U.S.-drafted resolution going before the Security Council is expected to recognize the new interim government and the formal end of the occupation on June 30.

It is also expected to address two key points of contention: the amount of power Iraq's caretaker government will have and the role of foreign troops, including more than 130,000 U.S. troops expected to remain in Iraq.

The United States is retaining ultimate control over Iraq's police, security forces and military, raising concerns at the Security Council — particularly from France and Germany — that the new government will not have enough power, and Iraqis will feel the occupation has not truly ended.

The new government "should be given the possibility to decide on security issues, without which this would not be a transfer of sovereignty," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Monday.

On Friday, U.S. deputy ambassador James Cunningham said all council members favored giving Iraq full sovereignty.