Washington, 17 February 2004 (RFE/RL) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the U.S. remains committed to handing over power to the Iraqi people by 1 July.
Powell said however, that the U.S. remains open to ideas from the UN about how the interim Iraqi government should be chosen. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to make his recommendations later this week.
The plan approved last November by the U.S.'s Iraq administrator, L. Paul Bremer, and the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council calls for choosing an interim government through caucuses to be held in Iraq's 18 provinces.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Sadreddin al-Kubbanji, the head of Iraq's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, warned in the Shi'ite pilgrimage city of Al-Najaf of a possible crisis if Bremer vetoes a possible "Islamic" constitution.
Al-Kubbanji said if Bremer imposed a solution other than what Iraqis want, it could spark a possible crisis. Bremer yesterday said he'd move to block any effort by the Governing Council to put Islamic law at the foundation of an interim Iraqi constitution.
The plan approved last November by the U.S.'s Iraq administrator, L. Paul Bremer, and the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council calls for choosing an interim government through caucuses to be held in Iraq's 18 provinces.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Sadreddin al-Kubbanji, the head of Iraq's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, warned in the Shi'ite pilgrimage city of Al-Najaf of a possible crisis if Bremer vetoes a possible "Islamic" constitution.
Al-Kubbanji said if Bremer imposed a solution other than what Iraqis want, it could spark a possible crisis. Bremer yesterday said he'd move to block any effort by the Governing Council to put Islamic law at the foundation of an interim Iraqi constitution.