France shows new flexibility in search of compromise on Iraq [View All]

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/us_iraq_france

15 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - France displayed new flexibility here as its US envoy expressed readiness to accept an initial "symbolic" transfer of power to Iraqi representatives as part of a broad compromise aimed at restoring Iraq (news - web sites)'s sovereignty.


US officials, for their part, said they were "prepared to work" on their differences with members of the UN Security Council and did not rule out introducing a revised draft UN resolution on Iraq that would encompass suggestions from foreign partners.


But US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) made clear the administration of President George W. Bush (news - web sites) remained opposed to a quick handover of power to the Iraqi Governing Council.


"It's not logical that at this early stage we would try prematurely to turn over to the Iraqi sovereignty when they're not yet capable of exercising it," she told Fox News.

In an interview with PBS television's "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Levitte said that Paris would favor "first a symbolic transfer of sovereignty."