Al-Shara said US comments on Iraq's constitution are positive
Syria-USA, Politics, 9/29/2003

Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara described US Secretary of State Colin Powell's proposal on a new Iraqi constitution within six months as the first open talk showing some good intentions on the American presence in Iraq.

Saying that "we can't really be precise about it," Powell speculated September 26 that Iraq could form a government to take over from the Coalition Provisional Authority in about a year, the US said.

"Six months seems like an appropriate amount of time for a constitution of the kind that we expect the Governing Council and the constitutional commission to prepare," Powell said. "Some people have said it would take another six months for elections but we really can't be precise about it. This is a work in progress."

Powell yesterday told CNN that such a transfer of authority cannot take place before the Iraqis are prepared to "discharge that authority in a very, very responsible way."

"We have to build up an Iraqi army. We have to rebuild their infrastructure. We have to rebuild their ministries. We have to rebuild their police forces. And we have to make sure that they have a constitution, let them write a constitution, let them have elections based on that constitution," Powell said.

Al-Shara told Lebanese LBC Satellite Channel in an interview last night that "I think this is the first open sentence I hear with something of American good intentions concerning their presence in IraqÉ.The mere thinking by them of a deadline to end this presence along with enacting a constitution and arranging for elections means that they put things in place and define a process of logical sequence to end the occupation. It is a good course if it proves authentic and implemented on the ground."

The minister added that "the Americans are not well in IraqÉand also the Israelis who demolish houses and kill Palestinians and destroy their plants live in a state of fear and panic."

Al-Shara, disclaiming American accusations on the crossing of some people across the border with Iraq, said "no one can cross through official crossing points between the two countriesÉbut it is difficult to control the issue along the bordersÉCan the US control its frontiers with Mexico as an example?"

Previous Stories:
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  Pan Arab condemnation of American threats against Syria   (9/20/2003)
  Keftaro confers with American delegation on dialogue   (9/20/2003)

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