Alternatives to Iraqi Council Eyed(replace w/French idea)

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1802&ncid=716&e=29&u=/washpost/20031110/ts_washpost/a17199_2003nov8

Alternatives to Iraqi Council Eyed
Sun Nov 9, 7:24 PM ET By Robin Wright and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Washington Post Staff Writers

...the Bush administration is developing possible alternatives to the council to ensure that the United States can turn over political power at the same time and pace that troops are withdrawn, according to senior U.S. officials here and in Baghdad.

The United States is deeply frustrated with its hand-picked council members because they have spent more time on their own political or economic interests than in planning for Iraq's political future, especially selecting a committee to write a new constitution, the officials added. "We're unhappy with all of them. They're not acting as a legislative or governing body, and we need to get moving," said a well-placed U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "They just don't make decisions when they need to." <snip>

The United States is even considering a French proposal, earlier rejected, to create an interim Iraqi leadership that would emulate the Afghanistan model, according to U.S. and French officials. During the debate before the new United Nations resolution on postwar Iraq was passed Oct. 17, France and other Security Council members had proposed holding a national conference -- like the Afghan loya jirga -- to select a provisional government that would have the rights of sovereignty.<snip>

...United States has long insisted that a new constitution was the essential first step and elections the final phase in handing over power. But now U.S. officials are exploring the possibility, again backed by other Security Council members, of creating a provisional government with effective sovereignty to govern until a new constitution is written and elections held.<snip>

...Two weeks ago, Bremer met with the council and bluntly told members that they "can't go on like this," a senior U.S. official in Baghdad said. Bremer noted that at least half the council is out of the country at any given time and that at some meetings, only four or five members showed up. <snip>