The US and Britain have revised their draft resolution on Iraq, which outlines the June 30 handover of power in Baghdad, to give authority to the Iraqi interim government to send the American-led multinational forces home.
The earlier version had given such an authority to the transitional government that is expected to take office by January 31 next year after elections. The transitional government's main purpose would be to draw up a constitution.
The termination of the mandate would still require a Security Council resolution but the language now introduced says that it "will terminate" the mandate if interim government demands that.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari had advocated giving such power to the interim government and other Security
Council members had also demanded the same.
However, the interim government is unlikely to demand the withdrawal as Zebari had told the council Thursday that the
presence of US-led multinational force would be required for "some time to come" to ensure security and avoid the possibility of a civil war.
The amended resolution was introduced on Friday shortly before the council members left for a weekend retreat with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his Iraq envoy Lakhdar Brahimi where they are expected to have informal consultations on the resolution.
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