Washington extends presence of its forces in Iraq; New council spends time on war crimes

The Iraqi provisional rule council said it has decided to form a higher committee to form a court for war crimes that will seek to try former Iraqi regime officials and allies over accusations of committing cimes against the Iraqi people.

The spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress, Intifad Qanbar, which is chaired by Ahmed Chalabi, represented at the council said that the council decided to establish a committee in charge of defining local or international laws which avail bringing suspects over committing war crimes to the court.

He added in a press conference following the convening of the Council that the council decided to form a judicial higher committee to discuss various laws and for trying war criminals. So far, the US did not announce what it will do with the 66 high ranking wanted persons of the Iraqi regime. Qanbar said that the ruling council will shoulder their trial and punishment according to the law.

For his part, the chairman of the Iraqi National Reconciliation movement Eyad Allawi, who is also a member in the council denied the existence of any differences among members of the council concerning the selection of the President. He said that the President will be selected after approving an internal constitution for the council.

He admitted that the council does not represent all political forces in Iraq. He added that there are real political forces which are not represented calling on them to practice constructive opposition and to realize that the current phase is a provisional one.

Meantime, the American army announced that its forces killed five Iraqis and arrested another after a military procession was ambushed while leaving an ammunition store to the west of Baghdad.

The attack took place between al-Ramadi and al-Habbaneyah cities, 100 Km to the west of Baghdad in an area overwhelmed by hostile feelings against the occupation forces. According to the American statement no American was killed or wounded.

However, in the course of the increasing security risks in Iraq, the US army there announced that the third contingency troops will stay in the country for indefinite time and thereby backtracking from a plan to bring it back to the US by the fall of August.

The postponement decision of returning back the 9000 troops is justified by the danger of the security problems the occupation forces face in Iraq, as resistance operations are greatly increasing despite the US forces efforts to contain them.