Italy Endorses Brahimi Plan for Iraq

[Robbien]

TOM RACHMAN

Associated Press

BOLOGNA, Italy - Italy's foreign minister backed a United Nations proposal to transfer sovereignty to a caretaker government in Iraq, and said Monday he would ask Washington to give the United Nations "real powers" in the country.

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini met with the lead U.N. envoy for Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, in Bologna on Monday. He said he would raise his support for the plan during meetings in Washington starting Tuesday. "I believe this idea is in the direction that the Italian government supports and requires," Frattini said.

Last week, Brahimi proposed that the U.S.-appointed Governing Council in Iraq stop work on June 30, and that the United States surrender sovereignty to a caretaker government of a prime minister, a president and two vice presidents. It would oversee the country until elections on Jan. 31, 2005.

The caretaker government would be chosen by the United Nations, the current Governing Council, the coalition and a select group of Iraqi judges.

Frattini said that during his U.S. meetings, he would say "with friendship to the U.S. that when on June 30 the coalition dissolves we must already be ready with the individuation of a new Iraqi government and with the United Nations present with real powers."

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/8467696.htm

[MasonJar]

1. I love the "require" part. The Italians look like they want out too. n/t

[sspiderjohn]

2. Bottom line: who ends up with the oil and negotiates contracts? nt

nt