UN Security Council holds special session on Iraq

The United Nations Security Council started a special session late Sunday to discuss agreement reached between the United States and Iraq on the continued presence of the US-led multinational force (MNF).

The agreement was contained in separate letters to the Security Council by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, which were made public here on Sunday.

In his letter, Allawi requested the multinational force, mostly US and British troops, to stay after his interim government takes power from the US-British occupying coalition by June 30.

"Until we are able to provide security for ourselves, includingthe defense of Iraq's land, sea and air space, we ask for the support of the Security Council and the international community in this endeavor," he said.

Allawi urged the council to act "now" to adopt the US-British draft resolution, which it has negotiated on for some two weeks. The resolution would endorse Allawi's government and authorize the MNF to stay in Iraq.

Both Allawi and Powell stopped short of specifying the relationship between the interim Iraqi government and the MNF, or whether the former has a say on the latter's major military operations.

Allawi said he would establish a ministerial committee for national security, which the MNF commanders would participate in, and other coordination bodies at various levels.

These coordination bodies would serve as the fora for the MNF and the Iraqi side to "reach agreement on the full range of fundamental security and policy issues, including policy on sensitive offensive operations, and would ensure "full partnership between Iraqi forces and the MNF," the letter read.

But such a partnership would be left to the interim government and the United States to define in the coming weeks "in the framework of a mutual understanding," it said.

For his part, Powell said the MNF "stands ready to continue to undertake a broad range of tasks" to maintain security in Iraq, including internment of Iraqis and search for weapons.

It was not immediately known whether the letters, to be annexedto the resolution on Iraq, could address concerns of Germany, France, China and other council members on the relationship between the MNF and the Iraqi government.

The relationship between the MNF and the Iraqi government has been a sticking point in council consultations on the US-British draft resolution. Germany, France and China have called for givingthe Iraqi government a say on the MNF's major military actions.

The Security Council decided to call Sunday's special closed-door consultations at a private retreat on Saturday outside New York.

Seeking a quick vote by the council, the United States and Britain introduced a third draft text on Friday. But so far no vote has been scheduled.

Source: Xinhua