An amended US- British draft resolution, a truce in al-Najaf
Iraq-USA, Politics, 6/5/2004

A spokesman for the US Department Of State said that the US will submit the new, and third, formula of an amended draft resolution on Iraq, but without defining a date for proposing it to voting at the UN Security Council.

Adam Early, under spokesman for the department said that the new formula of the draft project was circulated during a meeting for the experts of the UN Security Council members, expressing his confidence that this resolution will be adopted.

Early stressed that the new resolution makes the full return of sovereignty to the Iraqis on June 30 clearer and also defines the new authorities in the country will have the right to express own opinion and views, as from that date, over the existence of foreign forces in Iraq.

The amended text also states that the mission of the UN forces expires with the end of the political operation which is due to be completed in December 2005.

The spokesman for the US Department Of State said that the text takes into account the view point of the Iraqi government and prominent members at the UN Security Council, adding that Washington wanted in particular to take into account observations expressed by the Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zeibari at the UN on Thursday.

Zeibari, however, called for keeping the coalition forces in Iraq in the current phase so as to help the Iraqis. But he stressed following his meeting with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan in New York the need to consult the views of the Iraqi government when carrying out large security and military operations in the country.

In the battle field, the Iraqi police were deployed in al-Najaf and al-Kofa cities at a time when the streets were evacuated from armed demonstrations.

This, however, comes in implementation of an agreement declared by al-Najaf governor putting an end to the fighting taking place in the two cities.

Meantime, the Shiite Clergy Sader Eddine al-Qabanji strongly criticized al-Hoza ( the Shiite center) in Iran over its silence on what is taking place against the Shiite in Iraq especially in Najaf and Karbala. He stressed that the Shiite in Iraq are exposed to a Baathist- Wahhabi coalition, as he alleged.

In other field developments, five American soldiers were killed yesterday and other five injured in an explosion which targeted their patrol at the outskirts of al-Sader city in Baghdad.

One American armored vehicle was exposed to an attack by missile shelling on the highway to the north of Baghdad. Medical teams and ambulances were seen carrying several American soldiers while the occupation forces cut all roads leading to the site of the incident and smoke columns were seen coming out of the place.

Meanwhile, news reports said that four Iraqis were killed in Abu Ghreib area to the west of the city yesterday and that the victims were killed when unidentified men opened fire at them. The occupation forces cordoned the site of the explosion where one body was found.

Previous Stories:
  United States, United Kingdom Revise Iraq Draft Resolution   (6/3/2004)
  Bush Welcomes Newly Formed Iraqi Interim Government   (6/2/2004)
  American pressures to appoint al-Baja Je a President for Iraq   (6/1/2004)

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