Russia Says U.S. Draft on Iraq Needs Serious Work

Reuters ^ | 09-05-03

[Brian S]

Fri September 5, 2003 06:42 AM ET

TASHKENT (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Friday a U.S.-backed draft resolution seeking broader international help in postwar

Iraq "still needs further, very serious work." Ivanov, speaking at a regional cooperation meeting in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan, said the U.S. proposal went some way to re-establishing the central role of the United Nations in solving Iraq's problems.

"The U.S. draft resolution shows some movement toward these principles," he told a news conference. "But, naturally, for them to be reflected fully, this document still needs further, very serious work."

He said the situation in Iraq remained serious and urged the United States not to make light of it.

"In this respect, one cannot but express surprise at statements made by some Washington officials that life in Iraq is returning to normal and becoming better virtually day by day," he said.

"One should not be misled -- the situation in Iraq is becoming not better, but worse day by day."

The United States, facing mounting losses among its forces, began pressing this week for the adoption of a new resolution encouraging other countries to contribute troops and money to postwar reconstruction efforts.

But France and Germany, which opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, have rejected the proposed draft, saying it does not hand enough responsibility to Iraqis or the United Nations.

Russia also opposed the war, but President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow would support a decision to send a U.N.-sponsored force to Iraq, even under U.S. command.

Ivanov and other ministers have said Russia has not yet considered dispatching Russian troops but have not ruled out such an option.

[Asclepius]

"The U.S. draft resolution shows some movement toward these principles," he told a news conference. "But, naturally, for them to be reflected fully, this document still needs further, very serious work."

I'll say. And it's full of run-on sentences, disordered paragraphing, unclear topic sentences, ridiculously verbose passive constructions etc., etc. Even the margins are wrong.

But, hey. It's only a draft.