Bremer: national conference in July, before interim authority;Iraqi soldiers demonstrate; US businessman: war was for oil
Iraq-USA, Politics, 5/22/2003

The US administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, said that the expected national conference from which an Interim Iraqi authority is expected to emerge will not be held before mid July contrary to what he had announced on the possibility of convening it in June.

In statements to thepress during his visit to al-Karakh prison in Baghdad quarters, he added that the American administration continued a dialogue he described as effective with the Iraqi leaders. He explained that the conference might be held in mid July, adding he will no abide himself to a certain date.

Bremer said that the aim of the Americans is to found a government representing all Iraqi social strata, adding the US has no strategic objectives to stay in Iraq more than what is needed.

Meantime, more than 300 Iraqi soldiers and army officers demonstrated yesterday before the presidential palace in Baghdad calling for getting their salaries and threatening to resort to using weapons against the American forces in case their demands are not met.

Jasem Abbas, an Iraqi soldier said that the Iraqi radio announced the salaries will be paid today ( yesterday, Wednesday) but that was just fake promises, adding that the Americans just understand the language of force and therefore the Iraqi soldiers will not wait until the end to have their salaries paid.

Col. Hazem said that every and each Iraqi soldier keeps his weapon, threatening that the Americans will see unpleasant things if soldiers do not receive their salaries. He said that these salaries are not paid from the American resources, rather from Iraq.

On the other hand, the American businessman George Soros has criticized the over- use of authority by the US against Iraq. In a press conference he held yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York, he added he intends to form a group from the Open Society Institute to monitor the use of the Iraqi oil revenues to finance projects for rebuilding Iraq, approved by the US. He said the war was for oil and was driven by few US based oil companies.

Concerning the US position towards Iraq, the UN has stressed the need of restoring back order and the law to Iraq, noting that the humanitarian situation in the country is closely linked to security the American and British forces have not yet carried out efforts to fulfil.

Concerning lifting the Iraqi sanctions, Russia and France have stressed that the American draft resolution still contains pending issues that are needed to be solved before the possibility of adopting it at the UN security council.

In a joint press conference with his French Counterpart Dominique de Villepin in Stockholm, the Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov said that there are matters that are not solved and will be discussed.

De Villepin said that certain points stated in the draft should be clarified, noting he will discuss the Iraqi issue with Ivanov and with his German counterpart Joschka Fischer in a meeting in Paris.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi interim administration to draw constitution; elections in two years, occupation will deliver authority only to an elected government   (5/21/2003)
  Occupation abrogates Iraqi intelligence: the media, interior and defense employees sacked   (5/21/2003)
  Voting for lifting UN sanctions off Iraq tomorrow   (5/20/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search