U.S. submits new draft of Iraq resolution
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United States on Friday submitted a revised draft resolution on Iraq to the U.N. Security Council.
The draft is the third version of a resolution intended to formalize Iraq's return to sovereignty at the end of June and authorize the presence of multinational troops. The text is under review by technical experts, who may suggest minor language changes.
No Security Council meeting is planned for Friday. The United States and Britain had been aiming for a vote on the resolution early next week, but council members said late next week at the earliest would be more realistic.
Ambassadors from the council nations are expected to leave Friday afternoon for a private retreat to get a briefing from U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who has helped select the interim Iraqi government.
Brahimi is expected to address the Security Council formally, possibly Tuesday.
Russia criticized a previous draft, with Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov saying the resolution needed "some hard work."
Any resolution on Iraq needs the support of at least nine members of the 15-nation council without a veto from the five permanent members -- Russia, France, China, Britain and the United States.
Key questions concern the level of support for the new interim government within Iraq and the question of its legitimacy internationally, Fedotov said Thursday.
The interim government will lead Iraq from the transfer of sovereignty June 30 to January, when elections for a transitional national assembly are scheduled. The top job of the caretaker body is to help pave the way for elections.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite Muslim leader, gave tacit approval to the interim government this week.
He noted the government lacked the "legitimacy" of elections, but his statement of support gave a much-needed boost to the interim body.
The elderly, Iranian-born cleric, who holds a huge sway over Iraq's 60 percent Shiite majority, urged the new government to get "a clear Security Council resolution enabling the Iraqis to restore full sovereignty" and work hard to end Iraq's occupation.
Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's interim foreign minister, met Thursday with the Security Council to discuss the new resolution.
