Dubai, May 24: The US-led coalition must grant "full sovereignty" to Iraq's transitional government on June 30, the head of the country's governing council said in comments published today. "We will not agree to less than full sovereignty ... being handed over to the transitional government," Ghazi Ajil al-Yawar told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
Any new UN resolution should also abrogate resolution 1483 which recognised the occupation of Iraq and "give US full sovereignty," he added.
The United States and Britain were to submit to the UN Security Council later Monday the first draft of a resolution to recognise a new Iraqi government set to take power on June 30.
The resolution was also to clear the way for foreign forces to remain in the country after the formal end of the occupation.
"Once we have full sovereignty, we will have the right to decide whether multinational forces go or stay," Yawar said.
But he added that the lack of security "means that we will need multinational forces ... Which we hope to broaden to include European Union troops and certain influential Arab countries."
He also said another two weeks were needed to set up the transitional government amid intense negotiations involving UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, the Iraqi council and coalition officials.
Bureau Report