US: The authority of a caretaker government to dictate what military action US-led foreign troops can undertake in Iraq after June 30th, and whether it can order them to leave the country, is at the heart of an intense debate at the UN Security Council over the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair said in London yesterday that, after the transfer of power, Iraq's interim government will have a veto on operations by coalition troops.
However, US diplomats at the UN say the issue will be decided when the caretaker government is named by the UN Special Envoy, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi, in the next few days.
Once the government is formed, the US commander of coalition troops, renamed a "multinational force", is expected to exchange letters on how the force will relate to the interim government.
The letter will outline the creation of a national security council in Baghdad containing a US and UK general and chaired by the Iraqi prime minister, diplomats say. This would act as a means of resolving security issues
The new Iraqi leadership will also be asked to submit a letter accepting a Security Council resolution, and agreeing that the multinational force should remain in Iraq under a mandate renewable after a year, or by request before then of a government formed after national assembly elections in December or January.
A draft resolution jointly circulated by the US and Britain at the Security Council on Monday does not mention any veto power over US-led forces for the new Iraqi authorities.
It says that the multinational force shall have authority to take "all necessary measures" to contribute to the maintenance of stability and security in Iraq.
Mr Blair stressed an Iraqi government would have the "final political control" over action by coalition forces after June 30th, and that any counter-insurgency action, such as a renewed assault on Falluja, would need "the consent of the Iraqi government".
The resolution does not specify that the multinational force will leave Iraq if the caretaker government asks it to, but Mr Blair said it would be up to the Iraqi government to decide "whether the troops stay or not".
The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, said yesterday in a television interview that while the new Iraqi government could ask US military forces to leave, "realistically, I don't see it as a possibility any time in the near term".
Diplomatic sources at the UN say the issue of veto over military action could decide whether the caretaker government is seen as a sovereign entity or a US puppet.
The French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, yesterday expressed concerns about the text of the resolution in a phone call from Mr Bush. He told the US President that oil resources, security and the length of the multinational force's mandate needed discussion, his spokeswoman said.
Mr Bush said "what President Chirac and others have said is they want to make sure that the transfer of sovereignty to the interim government is a real transfer, and that's what we want".
Russia also believes the draft resolution raises questions and needs changes, a Russian diplomat told Interfax news agency.
"The text will evolve quite a bit," UN sources said. "Security Council members will want to see what Brahimi comes up with, and what the new Iraqi government says."
Mr Brahimi is expected soon to name top interim leaders, including a president and prime minister, possibly on Monday.
Yesterday the UN secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan, invited the 15 council members to a briefing on the work of Mr Brahimi, who is still in Baghdad, and the council will hold another round of discussions today.
France and Russia said the resolution should not go to a vote until after discussions with the new government.