Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro
de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
Nul doute que le Conseil aura
fort à faire pour imposer une image
d'indépendance à l'égard d'Irakiens
frustrés par l'incapacité américaine
à rétablir la sécurité et à
apporter des améliorations tangibles
aux conditions de vie au quoti.
dien dans Bagdad et sa région. Il
lui faudra réussir, et c'est bien là le
plus difficile, le délicat exercice
d'équilibriste consistant à négocier
avec la Coalition sans se faire taxer
de « cOllaboration» .avec l'occupant.
En attendant, la première déctsion
prise par les nouveaux « goùvemants»
n'est pas dépourvue
d'ambiguïté: la fête nationale sera
désormais célébrée le 9 avril. Pour
commémorer le jour de la chute de
Bagdad,libérée par leHhars américains
...
One GI killed and.6 hurt in Iraq
Interim government decides,to.send delegation to the UN
By Patrick Tyler
Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi Na- of Saddam's armed forces into society
and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
tional Congress, and Akila aI-Hashemi, through job training and other prowho
worked in the Foreign Ministry un- grams.
BAGHDAD: An American soldier was der Saddam's government. Another of- But some of the most intense discusficial
killed and six 'were wounded in a bold
said the group might be joined by sions Monday centered on how the gov-
guerrilla attack in the heart of the city's Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader and a erning council would project itself to
fashionable Mansour district early also member of the council. .
the Iraqis, many of whom remain skep-
Monday.
In its session, the governing council tical that the body is anything more
Hours after the dawn ambush on a deferred the question of who will lead than an extension of Bremer's occupathe
.military convoy of the 3rd Infantry Division,
25-member body by setting up a rules tion authority.
the 25members ofIraq's new interim
committee to make recommendations At one point in the session Mahmoud
government met behind closed .on schemes for rotating leadership. Othman, the elderly Kurd who was an
doors and; decided they would send a A council formed two other commit- adviser to Mullah Mustafa Barzani,
delegation to New York this month to tees, one to develop an agenda of the in- leader of the Kurdish revolt of the early
. claim Iraq's seat at the United Nations, terim government's highest priorities, 1970's, asked the group "from where" it
a step some members said would confer and a second to draft a policy statement derived its legitimacy, a sensitive point
greater legitimacy on the governing to be issued to the Iraqi public.. that was raised in the council's inaugubody
that .met for the first time Sunday.. Iraqi officials said that L. Paul raI press conference.
An hour after the Iraqi council members
Bremer 3rd, the top American occupa- The discussion to send a delegation
concluded their first full days of tion administrator in Iraq, joined part to the United Nations Security Council
private deliberations at their newly refurbished
of the council's discussions and sugges- meeting followed, officials said. It was
headquarters near Saddam ted several high priority projects that he not clear whether there was a vote on
Hussein's Republican Palace, an unknown
urged the council to adopt. sending the delegation, but several
assai~nt threw an explosive Bremer asked the council to approve members said there was general agree-
device from a speeding taxicab at a car a plan to refurbish 1,300 Iraqi schools ment to dispatch at least three of the
parked near the government complex, before the opening of classes this au- council members.
engulfing the vehicle in flames, the tumn: He asked for recommendations. The council members had adjourned
Iraqi police said.
on how to develop an accelerated train- Monday afternoon when the attacker
The decision by the Iraqi interim government
ing program for 70,000 police officers in threw an incendiary device near the
to send a delegation to New municipalities across the country and government headquarters, which ad-
York caught the UN special representative's
how to set up a special court for prose- joins the Baghdad convention center
office hear by surprise. A spokes-
cuting alleged war criminals captured where Bremer met Monday evening
man said he was not aware of the plan. during the military campaign here. with World Bank officials to discuss the
An Iraqi official said the delegation In addition, Bremer asked the council requirements for nation building and
would include Adnan Pachachi, a to undertake a review of the problems past experience.s in Europe. .
.former Ir~qi ambassador to the UN; of reintegrating the 400,000 members The Nè'WYorkTimes
Acouncil for Iraq
.washington was wise. to trators, L. Paul Bremer 3rd and John
speed the formation of a . Sawers, on major policy issues, help
broadly representative ?5- draw up and adopt next year's budget,
member Governing Coun- and appoint diplomats to represent
cil for Iraq, which met for the first time Iraq abroad - on Monday it said it
this past weekend. In a careful balan- would name a new UN delegation. The
cing act, the council consists of13 Arab council is also empowered to set up a
Shiites, five Arab Sunnis, five Kurds, a commission to prepare for the drafting
Christian and a Turkmen. There are 22 of a new constitution, the first step tomen
and three women. Many were ex- ward free elections and the transfer of
iles, but at least some are people who power to a fully sovereign Iraqi governsuffered
through Saddam Hussein's ment. Yet virtually all of the council's
tyranny inside Iraq. How coherently powers are subject to Bremer's veto.
this highly dispar~te b.ody ~an act a~d: Bremer was encouraged to appOint. :
. how much power It wIll Wield remalD . the council by Iraqi political leaders
to b~ s~en. Yet at least the.appearance and by the UNrepresentative in 8agbof
hmlted self-government has been dad, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Ordinary .
restored, and appearances. do count.. Iraqis are growing restive over the lack
In ~eory, th~ GovernlDg CouncIl .of Iraqi participation in the occupation
~ 'Yld~ au~ontY; ~t can naD,1eand administration and the prospect of indl~mlSs
lDt~nm mlDlst~~, adVIse.~e definite foreign rule. Further alienatchief
Amencan and Bnhsh adm1Dls- ing them could make analready diffi~
cult seC)1ritysituation muc~ worse. .
Daily attacks on occupation forces' ,
and widespread lawlessneas have
forced Washington to retain \J48,OOO
troops in Iraq, with perhaps" mor~ on
the way. With this large an Âmencan
force, real power is likely to remain in
Bremer's hands for some time to come.
Once the security situation is stabilized,
increasing responsibility for security
should be transferred into Iraqi
hands.
At that point, the new Governing
Council should be able to exercise
more authority. That will happen only
if it can overcome tensions between
Arabs and Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis,
~ud religious and secular politicians.
Those who spent the Saddam years in
relatively comfortable exile must win
the trust of those who endured repression
and sanctions at home ..This unelected
council will have to earn its legitimacy
as it carries out its work,
beginning with the choice of its .own
leadership structure.
B.P•..
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