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| Iraq |
| Speed Up of U.S./Iraqi Turnover |
| 2003-11-15 |
| BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 15 â The U.S.-led occupation will end by June after the selection of transitional government, the Iraqi Governing Council said Saturday. After that, the U.S. Military status would change from an occupation force to a âmilitary presence,â the council president said. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS made following talks between the council and the chief administrator, L. Paul Bremer, who returned Thursday from Washington after talks with President Bush and senior national security advisers. Council member Ahmad Chalabi, appearing at a news conference with other members, said the selection of a transitional government should be completed by May, âinternationally recognizedâ and with âfull sovereignty.â Council President Jalal Talabani, speaking in Arabic, said the transitional administration would be selected after consultations with âall partiesâ in Iraqi society. Council members also said plans called for a permanent constitution to be drafted and an elected administration chosen by the end of 2005. âThe new government will be in charge of negotiating with the occupying forces over how to regulate their presence in the country,â Talabani said. Sunni Muslim council member Adnan Pachachi said the current U.S.-appointed Governing Council will send a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Counsel to inform him of the timetable for the setting up of the new institutions. The United Nations had set a deadline of Dec. 15 for the timetable. âThe reason behind the setting up of this transitional government is to restore sovereignty, to end the occupation and to give a chance to a representative of the Iraqi people to represent Iraq,â Pachachi said. Talabani said the new leadership would fully respect human rights and freedom of religion. It would also ensure separation of powers between executive, legislative and judicial branches, maintain civilian control of the armed forces and respect the countryâs Islamic identity. SUPPORT DIMINISHES AS CASUALTIES RISE The United States had insisted a new constitution be drafted and approved and a new government elected before the transfer of sovereignty. The Iraqis had been insisting on a faster transfer. But the sharp rise in U.S. casualties and declining public support for the Bush policy on Iraq apparently led to a decision to change the sovereignty timetable. Asked whether the Americans wanted to hand sovereignty because of rising death tolls, Pachachi said: âI think you should address this question to the special representative of the U.S. government.â Pachachi added that America was âresponding to our desireâ for political power. President Bush said the accelerated timetable is essential to bringing democracy to Iraq and ensuring peace with its neighbors. âThe U.S. stands ready to help the governing council and all Iraqis translate this new timeline into political reality,â Bush said in a statement. He added that the development was âan important step toward realizing the vision of Iraq as a democratic, pluralistic country at peace with its neighbors.â But a senior White House official told The Associated Press that many details remain about how a new governing body will emerge from a nation with sharp ethnic and religious divides. |
| Posted by:Jarhead |
| #4 Whoa, you guys are drawing some strange conclusions. We never said Iraq would have elections. We said that we would turn over authority to a transitional government that we choose. Most likely we're gonna take some member of the GC that we think is the most responsible and assign him as president and allow him to build a cabinet with our approval. |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2003-11-15 7:53:41 PM |
| #3 It seems unavoidable that Iraq would have a state religion. There is only so much one can do to change societies. I have always thought that Iraq would be an explicitly Shi'a state ultimately. A relatively liberal one, with structural guarantees for the Kurds, hopefully, but a Shi'a state nevertheless. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-15 7:18:35 PM |
| #2 So we have elections first, rules for election later. Don't be surprised if you aren't happy with the results. Constitutions are written to protect peoples rights. Delaying this is just begging for BIG trouble. I suspect you willl find a state religion in place before the end of next year. |
| Posted by: Slumming 2003-11-15 4:03:24 PM |
| #1 Then again, a transitional government with "full" sovereignty could force a fair number of critics to find something else to carp about -- something more transparent to 2004 voters. I worry about Talabani's comments on respecting freedom of religion and the country's Islamic identity -- aren't those two incompatible? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-11-15 2:58:14 PM |