Powell Kicks off US Bid for New UN Resolution on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 04, 2003

Powell Kicks off US Bid for New UN Resolution on Iraq

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US Secretary of State Colin Powell formally kicked off Wednesday a US bid to seek a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq so as to enlist more international support for the stabilizing and reconstruction efforts in the oil-rich country.

"Today we have begun a new effort with respect to our diplomatic efforts to generate international support for Iraq. The president (George W. Bush) has authorized me ...to begin consultations with Security Council members on a new resolution," Powell told reporters.

"The consultations will be based on a draft resolution that we will be providing to Security Council members today (Wednesday) and through tomorrow (Thursday)," he added.

Powell said he called Wednesday his counterparts in Britain, Russia, France and Germany about the new draft UN resolution and would be making many more phone calls in the course of the day andthe next day.

Talking about the draft resolution, Powell said there are two key elements in the proposed document.

"The first is the draft resolution will invite the Iraqi Governing Council to submit a plan, a program, and a timetable forits political evolution through the writing of a constitution, putting in place the necessary institutions of government, and theconduct of free elections, so that they can determine how they will be led in the future," he said.

"The second key element in the resolution will be the authorization of a multinational force under unified command. ... And we would invite additional nations to participate in such multinational efforts," Powell added.

Apart from the two key elements, the secretary said, there willalso be other elements in the draft resolution calling for an expanded role for the United Nations and encouraging internationalfinancial institutions and other nations to do everything they canto help the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

But Powell stressed that the United States will continue to play "a dominant role" in Iraq's post-war affairs because of the size of the US military presence in the country and the leadershipthe United States is providing to the reconstruction efforts.

The secretary, however, quickly added that "a dominant role doesn't mean the only one."

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