Iran says UN draft resolution on Iraq has many ambiguities

Jordan Times, Thursday, May 27, 2004

MADRID (AP) — Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday that the US-British blueprint for a post-occupation Iraqi government leaves many issues unresolved, such as how long American and other foreign troops will stay in the country. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the draft resolution introduced Monday at the United Nations also fails to spell out the relationship between the proposed interim government and the US-led multinational force called for in the blueprint.

"There are a lot of ambiguities, many questions that have to be resolved because the people of Iraq, Iraq's neighbours and the whole world need to understand what is going to happen," Kharrazi said.

He spoke at a news conference after talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

"Iraq's neighbours are waiting to be able to help this whole plan," Kharrazi said.

Kharrazi also suggested that the blueprint does not give enough decision-making power to Iraqis. "Of course, nothing can be imposed on the Iraqi people from outside," he said. "The decisions of the Iraqi authorities, of the Iraqi people, must be contributed." Moratinos voiced similar doubts about the draft resolution but sounded upbeat. "The Spanish government believes it is a good basis for negotiation but that it can be improved and must be improved," Moratinos said.

He said the resolution was incomplete because the United Nations still has to receive recommendations from its special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who is in Baghdad trying to devise an interim government acceptable to a wide range of Iraqis.

Moratinos said clarification is needed on the relationship between the interim government and the multinational force, which the resolution says will be authorised to take "all necessary measures" to maintain security and prevent terrorism.

He also said Spain's government would like a deadline to be set for when the force would leave Iraq.

"These are still problems, which we are going to discuss in a constructive spirit with our partners and allies and with the permanent members of the Security Council," Moratinos said.

The ministers also said Iran and Spain had put behind them a spat over Spain's royal wedding last weekend between Crown Prince Felipe and former TV journalist Letizia Ortiz.

The Iranian government was upset because the widow and son of the late shah of Iran attended the wedding.

Kharrazi's visit had been scheduled for Monday but the Iranians postponed it for one day in protest.

Moratinos called the dispute a misunderstanding and said Spanish officials had explained to the Iranians that the late shah's widow Farah and son Reza were invited as personal guests of the Spanish royal family, not as representatives of a state, like dozens of other guests.

"As far as we are concerned, there has not been any crisis," Moratinos said.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python (Alquds, 1/25/03.

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

editor@aljazeerah.info