The United States will not give Iraq a veto over U.S. troops, but will work with the government there as partners, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday.
As several nations demanded changes in a proposed U.N. resolution to bolster Iraq's authority, Powell said the 138,000 U.S. troops will remain under U.S. command. ''There could be a situation where we have to act and there may be a disagreement,'' Powell said.
In a televised interview with Middle East Broadcasting, Powell reminded critics of the already revised U.S.-British draft that gives sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government. Still, he said, the United States and Iraq will operate as partners and ''work out the necessary arrangements'' between U.S. and Iraqi forces.
''We are not looking for ways to cause problems,'' he said. ''We are looking for ways to solve problems.''
''You can't use the word 'veto''' to describe Iraq's authority, he said.
Ap via Iraq Net article
As several nations demanded changes in a proposed U.N. resolution to bolster Iraq's authority, Powell said the 138,000 U.S. troops will remain under U.S. command. ''There could be a situation where we have to act and there may be a disagreement,'' Powell said.
In a televised interview with Middle East Broadcasting, Powell reminded critics of the already revised U.S.-British draft that gives sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government. Still, he said, the United States and Iraq will operate as partners and ''work out the necessary arrangements'' between U.S. and Iraqi forces.
''We are not looking for ways to cause problems,'' he said. ''We are looking for ways to solve problems.''
''You can't use the word 'veto''' to describe Iraq's authority, he said.
Is this meant to be a farce? BushCo keeps saying Iraq will be a sovereign country come July 1. Of course we know that the "interim government" of that sovereign country is a bunch of recycled U.S. appointees to the current governing council. But this is beyond beyond. We'll have our troops there, and the Iraqis can disagree, but they can't veto. Do these people know the meaning of the word sovereign?
