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U.N. council sees plan for U.S.-British control over IraqNew resolution would lift most U.N. sanctions against country
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council met Friday for its first official look at a draft resolution that would lift almost all U.N. sanctions against Iraq and endorse American and British control over the country for at least a year. The U.S. delegation presented the eight-page document, which the United States, Britain and Spain co-sponsored, to the 15-member council in a closed-door session. "There were no negotiations today," John Negroponte, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters Friday afternoon. "It was a matter of presenting the resolution and hearing initial reactions. "The atmosphere was very constructive," he said, comparing it with the often acrimonious meetings leading up to the war in Iraq. While some diplomats predict relatively smooth sailing for the resolution in the weeks ahead, some member nations are skittish about the amount of authority -- both political and financial -- that it provides the United States and Britain. The resolution would classify the United States and Britain as "occupying powers," giving them certain authority and responsibilities under international law such as providing security and ensuring that Iraqis are treated humanely. That authority would automatically continue beyond 12 months unless the Security Council decides otherwise. The plan would call for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to appoint a special coordinator to work with the United States on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. The coordinator would work with the United States and Britain to create an Iraqi interim administration to run the country until a permanent government is established. There is also concern about the unclear fate of outstanding contracts under the oil-for-food program, which was an attempt to ease the effect of sanctions on Iraqi civilians. All proceeds from Iraqi oil sales would be deposited into an Iraqi Assistance Fund to pay for humanitarian and reconstruction needs "until such time as a new Iraqi government is properly constituted and capable of discharging its responsibilities," the resolution says. The United States and Britain would control the fund, consulting with the Iraqi interim authority. An independent advisory panel, with representatives from the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank, would be appointed to monitor the fund. Independent public accountants appointed by the advisory panel would audit the fund. Sanctions were first imposed on Iraq in August 1990 after its invasion of Kuwait. They were modified in 1996 to allow for the oil-for-food program, but they have otherwise remained largely unchanged. The resolution also would phase out the oil-for-food program after four months, and any unused funds from that program would be shifted into the assistance fund. It also would require U.N. member nations to freeze the funds of Saddam Hussein and other former top officials and turn that money over to the fund. The nations that have expressed concerns about the draft resolution include the same veto-wielding permanent council members who publicly opposed the war. Russia and France have outstanding oil contracts with the former Saddam regime, reached under the oil-for-food program. The fate of those contracts -- which in Russia's case values about $1.5 billion -- remains unclear. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, said Friday that his country has "a long list" of questions about the draft. Further consultations are scheduled for Wednesday. Other developments• A U.S. Army helicopter crashed Friday in north-central Iraq, killing three soldiers and injuring one, Army officials said. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 4th Infantry Division was on a nighttime mission when it struck a power line and crashed into the Tigris River, officials said. The crash happened near Samarra, north of Baghdad. It was not believed to involve hostile fire, officials said. • The United Arab Emirates announced plans to build a new hospital in Ar Rutbah after the western Iraqi town's only medical facility was destroyed during the war, according to Gulf News, an English-language newspaper in Dubai. The Red Crescent already has been offering medical services in an old building in Ar Rutbah. Construction on the hospital is scheduled to begin in less than a month. • In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the World Health Organization has confirmed four cases of cholera. WHO said dozens more people may have the potentially fatal illness. (More about cholera) Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine. In severe cases, it can lead to dehydration and shock, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness can be prevented and treated easily, but WHO spokesman Ian Simpson said Thursday that the conditions in Basra make it difficult to do either. The disease has a fatality rate of more than 50 percent if it is not treated, he said. • One U.S. soldier was killed and another injured in two separate shootings Thursday in Baghdad, according to U.S. Central Command. A soldier from the Army's Fifth Corps was shot and killed at close range by an unknown assailant with a pistol while directing traffic in east Baghdad. In the second case, a U.S. soldier was shot at close range and injured, also while directing traffic. The soldier was taken to a local military medical facility, according to Central Command, and his condition is unknown. The gunmen weren't captured, Central Command said. Neither soldier has been identified. • Kuwaiti officials and coalition forces are trying to identify remains from a mass grave site found recently near Samawa in southern Iraq, according to Central Command. Based on evidence at the site, Central Command said Friday that the remains could be those of Kuwaitis missing since Iraq's 1990 invasion. • The Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Aid is considering setting up a special court system in Iraq to try those responsible for crimes against the Iraqi people, a senior U.S. adviser said Thursday. "In all probability we will see some sort of special chamber set up within the Iraqi system composed of Iraqi judges using Iraqi prosecutors who will handle this," said Clint Williamson, the office's adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice. (Full story) CNN Correspondents John King, Suzanne Malveaux, Jamie McIntyre, Liz Neisloss, Michael Okwu, Karl Penhaul and Barbara Starr and Producer Matthew McFetridge contributed to this report. EDITOR'S NOTE: CNN's policy is to not report information that puts operational security at risk.
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