Posted on 05/28/2004 11:28:58 AM PDT by TexKat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush heard appeals from Russia and Denmark on Friday to allow full sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government and the White House said Bush was open to changes in the draft of a U.N. resolution on Iraq.
European governments want strict guidelines on the status of U.S. forces in Iraq in the text of a U.N. resolution that is to endorse the new Iraqi government due to take power from the U.S.-led coalition on June 30.
The concern of many is that U.S. forces would be operating outside the control of the Iraqi interim government. Washington has promised there will be a letter establishing the relationship between that government and the multinational force, and it would be an addendum to the resolution.
Bush spoke by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the resolution, two days after discussing the same subject with French President Jacques Chirac, who said on Thursday the U.S.-British draft text needed "serious improvement."
Putin, holding talks earlier with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency that the resolution would only work "if it allows the Iraqi people to take its fate in its own hands and creates a mechanism for the rebirth of real sovereignty."
Should a document be approved "strictly for the sake of taking a decision without influencing anything, it will only compromise the U.N.," Interfax quoted Putin as saying.
ARRANGEMENT
Bush said he told Putin that "we would come up with an arrangement that would enable us to help the Iraqi people secure their country, so that their country can move toward election." He did not elaborate.
Bush also held Oval Office talks with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who came to Washington saying he would urge Bush to ensure the Iraqi interim government gets real power, including military decision-making ability.
"We need a transfer of full sovereignty to an Iraqi government, an Iraqi government which will be provided with all the signs and principles of a sovereign government," Rasmussen said with Bush at his side in remarks to reporters in the Rose Garden.
Bush pledged that the new Iraqi government will have "complete and full sovereignty" and that progress was being made on the resolution.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said there was strong support for the resolution overall and that Bush was hearing areas of concern by individual leaders.
"I think everybody recognizes that there will be some refinements and adjustments made along the way. That's part of the process," he said.
Bush will get a chance to talk more about the resolution next week in Rome and Paris when he travels to Europe to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
Russia and Denmark? What, no France and Germany?
Why should these grasshoppers have ANY say in the matter?
They are mentioned in the body of the article. GWB has already spoke with them.
Bush promises "full sovereignty" for Iraqi government
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush strove to soothe Danish and Russian concerns about Iraq, vowing to give "complete and full sovereignty" to an interim government set to take power there on June 30.
Bush said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who opposed the US-led March 2003 invasion, had agreed by telephone to work together to refine a new UN Security Council resolution meant to ease the handover of power in Iraq.
In a joint appearance with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who sent some 500 soldiers to help US efforts in Iraq, Bush made clear that his guest had pushed for giving the interim Iraqi government full powers.
"I told the prime minister that our government and our coalition will transfer full sovereignty, complete and full sovereignty to an Iraqi government" picked by special UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, the president said.
"He said, 'Do you mean full sovereignty?' I said, 'I mean full sovereignty,'" Bush added as the two leaders made brief remarks in the White House Rose Garden.
The president said the United States was "making progress" on the new UN resolution, amid concerns from war opponents China, France, Germany and Russia about how it will define the role of nearly 140,000 US soldiers in Iraq.
"I spoke to Vladimir Putin this morning about the resolution, and we agreed to work together on behalf of the Iraqi people and the new government," Bush said.
Putin had warned earlier in Moscow that "this resolution can work only if it allows the Iraqi people to take fate into their own hands, creating a mechanism for the creation of a real sovereign state."
"I told him that we would come up with an arrangement that would enable us to help the Iraqi people secure their country, so that their country can move toward election," Bush said.
"I told him I would continue to work with countries around the world to build support for the new Iraqi government, so that the Iraqi people have a chance to live in a free and just society, just like we do," he added.
The United States and Britain on Monday presented a draft resolution that fixes no date for US troops to leave Iraq and gives them wide-ranging authority to maintain order and fight "terrorism."
The draft said that foreign forces should have the "consent" of Iraq to remain but fixes no date for them to leave, and the White House says US troops will remain under US command.
Rasmussen welcomed Bush's outreach on the UN resolution, but insisted on a transfer of "full sovereignty" to an Iraqi government "which will be provided with all the signs and principles of a sovereign government."
And while the prime minister said Danish troops would remain in Iraq for now to "stay and finish our job," he made clear that the interim Iraqi government would decide whether they stay beyond July 1.
"From June 30, international military presence in Iraq will be provided at (the) request from this new Iraqi government. Our troops will stay in Iraq as long as the Iraqi government decides," said Rasmussen.
But he also predicted that the new Iraqi government "will ask for international military presence in order to secure the situation and assist them in the building of a new society."
Rasmussen also referred to the "tragic" scandal surrounding the abuse of prisoners by US soldiers at the notorious Abu Ghraib facility outside Baghdad.
"I welcome the assurance that these cases will be fully investigated and the people responsible will be held accountable. And I welcome that the necessary steps will be taken to make sure that nothing like this will happen in the future," he said.
LOL...thanks. Can you say "non-news, hyped into paeudo-news"? Knew you could.
Note to self: do not try to ad lib wiring diagrams while FReeping.
They certainly have earned it haven't they? /s
I watched the press conference live. I must admit that I reallly admire Rasmussen of Denmark. He has been one of the most valiant supporters and allies of the US. adam_az. I find you comment uncalled for. You will find few better friends in the world than Rasmussen. Denmark has the command of an area in southern Iraq. Rasmussen was extremely supportive of the US in the runup to the war. At home he was attacked and some leftists emptied a can of red paint over his head.
Let me tell you about freedom. Freedom means that a country like Denmark can say what they think. And judging from the press conference Bush and Rasmussen seemed in agreement. Rasmussen stated that Danish troops will stay in Iraq until the job is finished.
Watching Bush and Rasmussen together was inspiring. Two great moral leaders in a wicked world.
Cheers.
Russia, Denmark, France, etc - It can't be true. Kerry says this arrogant administration doesn't play nice with foreign countries.
I have a feeling that President Bush will make any reasonable changes these guys want in order to get this process moving along. Everybody is chattering like a deal is in the works, which would be terrific.
russian and denmark...Yawn.
CWOJackson...Yawn.
LOL! a eurotwit speaks.
hehe. You are right.
But, I think your comment is disrespectful to a small nation who has lost lifes in Iraq.
Because, the Danish PM Rasmussen thinks that Denmark has han enormous debt that can never be repayed to the United States because of the immense sacrifices made during WWII.
Alright. I think you have to choose. Either the US can do whatever it wants, allies be damned. Or Bush has rallied some of the steadfast allies into the coalition. Is Kerry right? Are countries like Denmark just window dressing. I doubt the families of dead Danish servicemen feel this way. I doubt President Bush feels this way. I watched the press conference live with the President and PM Rasmussen, and they both make me proud to be a Westerner. We are lucky to have leaders like this.
I wish you had a little more respect for a country like Denmark who has given the blood of it's sons to join the US out of old loyalty.
As an aside, I admire you posts as a FReeper so this is nothing personal.
God Bless the United States. God Bless Denmark.
"I watched the press conference live. I must admit that I reallly admire Rasmussen of Denmark. ........."
Agree.
Putin and Russia is a total different matter. Time they come clean with their protection of Saddam along with the French and Germans.
What you call "whatever it wants" is what I call what is necessary for our own defense. If you recall the whole process leading up to the invasion, the United States has basically had to do what was necessary, allies be damned.
I agree with you totally. I hate the UN. I want Norway (My country) out of the UN ASAP. I know that will probably never happen since most people here have a total UN fetish. I think the conservatives in the US is the best (and last?) hope of freedom loving peoples all around the planet.
The US did what it had to do. AND DENMARK WAS WITH YOU ALL THE WAY. I guess I reacted because I thought you was unessecarily disrespectful to one of (THE FEW) truly good friends of the US.
There is an odd thing about America, than perhaps not many American perceive (or care about). America is more than a country. A country founded, not on ethnicity, but on ideology. An ideology which embodies the hopes and dreams of the entire mankind. Unfortunately, America is under attack. I don't even care that much about Al Qaeda. We will smash them into a pulp if we need to. I am a lot more conserned about the neo-maxists in academica, the media, and in the democratic party. This enemy within is IMHO the real threat.
I say very often, that this war, whilst being fought in places like Spin Boldak, Falluja, Finbury Park and Jedda it is not going to be decided in these places. It will be won or lost in America.
Cheers.
When ever I feel disappointed with the way President Bush is doing things, I think of our only alternative-and thank God for sending us George W. Bush.
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