Unidentified group claims attacks in Iraq; de Mello says elections in 2004

United Nations envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, has stressed that the Iraqi Governing Council which was recently formed in Iraq does not enjoy full legitimacy and that what he called actual legitimacy will be stemmed from the democratic elections which can not be formed before 2004.

But Mello, on the other hand, considered that the council enjoys a vast representation and includes all political and factions which resisted the regime of the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He said it is important to encourage the new provisional council to issue decisions unanimously "decisions that no one can oppose." He said that it is in the interests of this coalition to share the authority increasingly with an executive body in remarks to the right of the occupation authority in preserving its veto on the decisions of the Governing Council.

The UN official considered that the new council will contribute to "prevent the groups which still support the toppled regime, under the pretext of a vacuum in the authority, from attacking the occupation forces."

Replying to a question on the departure of the Americans from Iraq, de Mello said that the Americans will stay as long as the new Iraqi police and army are not formed. He added he can not define a certain time for the departure of the Americans.

On the other hand, an unidentified group calling itself "the Iraqi Jihad movement" threatened it will increase attacks against the American occupation forces in Iraq.

In a message circulated in Falouja, the movement said "these invading forces should take into account the resistance shown by the Iraqis." Another side naming itself the "Iraqi national Islamic resistance ( groups of 20th revolution) said on Monday that the operations of its groups during the three past days resulted in losses in the American forces, especially downing a large American military transport plane in al-Mahmoudeyah to the south of Baghdad.