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Thursday, November 13, 2003
THE BATTAUl
Personal agendas cause friction between U.S., Iraqi counc
By Robert H. Reid
the associated press
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Personal agendas, ethnic
rivalries and differences over visions for a new
Iraq are responsible for American dissatisfaction
with Washington’s own creation — the Iraqi
Governing Council.
Frustration over the U.S.-appointed council has
emerged at a time of escalating attacks by Iraqi
insurgents, most recently the truck bombing
Wednesday of the headquarters of the Italian
Carabinieri police in the southern city of Nasiriyah.
Heavy-handed moves against the 25-seat
Governing Council also could be seen by the
already distrustful Iraqi public as a sign that the
Americans aren’t serious about granting Iraqis a
meaningful role in their own affairs.
Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for council mem
ber Ahmed Chalabi, said the complaints against
the body were “nonsense and baseless.”
“The Governing Council should not alone bear
the responsibility of any inefficiency,” Mahmoud
Othman, a Sunni Kurd member of the council,
told The Associated Press. “This is supposed to be
a partnership based on equality, but when the
Americans want to find solution for their prob
lems, they do it in any way that suits them,”
L. Paul Bremer, the chief civilian administrator
for Iraq, was summoned unexpectedly from
Baghdad to a White House meeting Tuesday with
Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other key officials.
Bush administration officials acknowledged
concerns about the council’s progress since its
installation in July but said President Bush was
not about to disband it.
“The notion that we are about to throw the
council to the wolves is exaggerated,” a senior
administration official said on condition of
anonymity. “But there is a need to put some ener
gy into the political transition. It is true they are
not as together as we had hoped.’”
Apart from policy differences, the very compo
sition of the council discourages quick decision
making. To reffect the diversity of Iraqi society,
the council includes 13 Shiites, five Kurds, five
Sunnis, one Christian and one Turkman.
Mouwafak al-Rabii, a Shiite Muslim member of
the Governing Council and a longtime human rights
activist, angrily rejected criticism of the council’s
performance, saying it is facing complex issues.
“We need to negotiate and have a dialogue to
reach a decision,” he told AP. "And when we do that,
then we shall have to talk with our (coalition) part
ners, differ, negotiate and compromise with them.”
Suspicion of America’s intentions in Iraq was
heightened when Washington persuaded Turkey
to send troops to join the coalition — despite
widespread public opposition to a Turkish role.
The Turks withdrew the offer after strong opposi
tion by the Governing Council, which in turn
angered Washington.
Tensions between the coalition and the
Governing Council have been simmering for
months. Coalition officials complained privately
about the slow pace of decision-making and seeming
indifference of some members to attend meetings.
Those sentiments have sharpened as the Dec.
15 deadline approaches for the Iraqis to submit a
plan to the U.N. Security Council for drafting a
new constitution and holding national elections.
Under the current U.S. plan, those are necessary
steps for the United States to transfer sovereignty
to a democratically elected Iraqi government.
The major stumbling block has been the insis
tence by the country’s leading Shiite cleric.
Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, that delegates be
selected by a general election — which U.S. offi
cials fear could delay completing the constitution
for more than a year.
Some coalition officials also suspect that the
council is stalling on taking a decision, hoping
pressure from Washington will force Bremer to
grant sovereignty ahead of schedule to show
progress toward a legitimate Iraqi government.
Key council members also have been pressing
Iraqi Governing Council
Conflicting interest, ethnic rivalries and differences over visas
for a new Iraq have lead to American frustration with Irsjs
Governing Council at a time of escalating violence.
Shlltea: 13 member*
Believe their numbers
should give them a
commanding voice in
the new Iraq; one
member was killed in
September.
*
Christian: 1 member
Represent a minority ol a
few hundred thousand
spread throughout Iraq
tty
Sunnis: 5 members
Fear domination by the
majority Shiites:
controlled Iraq under
Saddam Hussein
Turkman: 1 membsr
Represent a few luttt
thousand peoples fur
the Kurdish areas rh
North.
SOURCE: AmocmmU Pr«M
Bremer for months to approve a new, Iraqi-ledp
military force to light the insurgents. Bremer
insisted on strict standards and coalition control:
U.S. officials fear that without such conte
the force could commit human rights violati
and be used to eliminate political rivals undet
cover of counterinsurgency.
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