UN security council 'welcomes' but does not legalize the 'governing council' in Iraq; Syria abstains
Iraq-USA, Politics, 8/15/2003

Following weeks of negotiations, the UN Security Council yesterday reached a middle solution between the American request to recognize the transitional Iraqi governing council and the rejection expressed by several UN security council members, especially permanent members for such a recognition.

The UN security council decided unanimously, with the abstention of Syria to "welcome" this commission which was established by the American occupation, because it has a vast representation and in being a step towards forming a sovereign Iraqi government.

The UN Security Council adopted resolution number 1500 at 14 votes while Syria abstained from voting saying its voting will be according to the position to be adopted by the Arab League. The UN resolution also includes the formation of a UN assistant mission in Iraq for a preliminary period of 12 month, according to a proposal by the UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

The first item of resolution 1500 states that the UN Security Council "welcomes" the formation of the transitional governing council in Iraq and notifies it is "of vast representation."

The resolution says that founding the governing council constitutes "an important step towards the Iraqi people formation of a representation government internationally recognized in which Iraq is sovereign."

Diplomats said that this explanation stressed that "the reality of the governing council is that is does not hold the representation for the government of Iraq, nor is a member in the international group." The second item in this short resolution stated to form an assistant mission for the UN, requested by Annan, to define the sort of activity conducted currently by his representative in Iraq. Number of people in this mission will toll 300 who will ensure coordination in the humanitarian field and in political consultations, especially as stated in particular in UN resolution 1483 issued on May 22, which defines the role of the UN in Iraq.

Syria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Mikhail Wahbeh tried, unsuccessfully to introduce certain changes to the decision, noting that it is the right of the Iraqi people to assess its own government, and that it is not the task of the UN security council to welcome the governing council appointed by the USA. Wahbeh also called for the resolution to indicate the Iraqi sovereignty and a timetable for the return back of an Iraqi government, but the US representative to the UN replied that there is no need to introduce any changes.

Previous Stories:
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