Germany, France Fault U.S. Offer of U.N. Iraq Role

The leaders of France and Germany criticized the Bush administration’s new proposal for a greater international role in occupied Iraq on Thursday, saying the U.S. must speed up the transfer of power to an Iraqi government and give the U.N. more authority.

Although their words sounded like a reprise of their alliance in opposition to the war earlier this year, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder did not completely reject the U.S. plan. Diplomats at the United Nations interpreted that as a starting point for negotiations.

In Baghdad, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq said he had enough soldiers for the tasks assigned to him, but new challenges “looming in the future” would require more soldiers. Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez confirmed that the Pentagon would like to see 10,000 more troops from other countries take part in the postwar peacekeeping and cleanup.

U.S. and Turkish officials began discussions Thursday on the conditions for sending Turkish troops to Iraq.

Chirac, who held a regularly scheduled meeting with Schroeder in Dresden, Germany, told reporters that the U.S. proposal “seems rather far from what we see as the foremost objective, which is the transfer of political responsibility to an Iraqi government as rapidly as possible.”

Schroeder said the U.S. proposal that began circulating this week was “not dynamic enough, not sufficient.”

Emphasizing a desire to help Iraq, the French president said France would study the resolution “in the most positive manner possible” and that France and Germany would work “in full collaboration” to amend it to reflect their concerns.

Their comments suggested that prewar divisions between the allies had not entirely disappeared. But diplomats said they might be able to resolve the differences.

“We didn’t expect everyone to agree on the first day,” said one Security Council diplomat. “There’s a big gap to close, but everyone wants to see Iraq succeed, so I think we can close it.”

Russia and China, which like France hold veto power on the U.N. Security Council, sent positive signals about the resolution in media statements and in a closed-door meeting of the five permanent council members.

“They were making suggestions, not objections,” said Richard Grenell, spokesman for U.S. Ambassador John D. Negroponte, who convened the meeting. “But it’s very early in this process.”

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said the U.S. was willing to work with France, Germany and others.

“I think the resolution is drafted in a way that deals with the concerns that leaders such as President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder have raised in the past, and if they have suggestions, we would be more than happy to listen to them,” he said.

A senior State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said German officials had contacted the State Department after the comments by Schroeder and Chirac became public to say that Schroeder’s remarks weren’t meant to be negative.

The draft has not yet been formally submitted to the Security Council, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, mindful of the prewar divisions, cautioned ambassadors this week to keep their debate private until they reach a consensus. The council will meet as a whole today for its first informal discussion of the proposals.

The draft resolution calls for a multinational force under U.S. command to help stabilize Iraq and provide enough security so Iraqis can begin to reclaim sovereignty over their country.

The proposal has the U.N. in a central role helping to organize elections and overseeing Iraq’s political transition, though the United States and Britain would retain ultimate control. The resolution calls for the Security Council to formally endorse the interim Iraqi Governing Council. It would be up to the Governing Council, it says, to create a timetable for drafting a constitution and holding elections.

France and Germany are preparing an amendment that would accelerate the transfer of power from U.S.-led occupation authorities to Iraqis, under U.N. supervision and according to a precise timetable.

“We think the situation is deteriorating,” said French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere. “We will make a proposal on how to transfer responsibility to Iraqis. It is important that they have ownership of the process.”

Gunter Pleuger, the German ambassador to the United Nations, added, “We would like to see the U.N. take over the political process. We would like to improve the security situation. And third, we would like to have transparency in economic reconstruction,” he said. “We will have to find language that reflects this.”

Key for the United States is finding countries to share the military and financial burdens.

The pressure on U.S. officials to win more foreign troops and money for Iraq stems partly from Capitol Hill, where the administration told congressional leaders this week that President Bush soon would submit a request for additional funding for the military operation. Administration officials denied reports that they had settled on about $65 billion, though congressional analysts say they expect that the administration will need at least that much.

The administration also sent Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz and Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, to brief members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees.

Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said lawmakers are hungry for more information about the situation in Iraq and the administration’s plans before they approve another big pot of money.

“There’s no question [the money] can be passed, as long as it is properly justified,” Portman said. “It needs to be coupled with a more aggressive effort to explain” the administration’s plans.

Sanchez, the U.S. commander in Iraq, spoke Thursday as Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived in the region on a visit that appeared to be aimed at determining how many troops from other countries are needed. More than 90% of the troops in Iraq are Americans.

U.S. officials have contended since Bush declared an end to active combat on May 1 that there are enough soldiers to secure the peace and get the country on the road to reconstruction and democracy. But resistance is growing, and terrorism and sabotage are diverting manpower.

“In terms of additional coalition assets and U.N. forces coming into the country, our position over time has been consistent -- that we welcome international participation,” Sanchez said. “It will clearly show the world and the Iraqi people that this is not a business of occupying Iraq. This is a business of getting the security and stability to ensure a vision of democracy for the Iraqi people.

“I have sufficient forces to accomplish the missions that are currently assigned to [U.S.-led forces],” Sanchez continued. “There are some security challenges out there that are looming in the future that would require additional forces.”

In London, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was quoted as calling for an additional 5,000 British soldiers to join the 11,000 stationed in southern Iraq. The Daily Telegraph reported that Straw thought the current British force was too small to handle the massive reconstruction work ahead and that reinforcements were needed to improve security.

Sanchez said the coalition would welcome troops from Muslim nations and noted that Turkish troops could be used in areas where their presence wouldn’t anger Iraqi Kurds, who often have had strained relations with their neighbors.

The general emphasized that Iraqi security forces are being trained to take some of the burdens off the coalition, including relieving the occupation force of responsibility for police work, guarding the borders and patrolling major highways now plagued by armed bandits.

Rumsfeld kept a low profile on his visit but told reporters on the flight from Washington that he would be meeting with mission commanders and visiting U.S. troops. He said the occupation force should draw in more foreign troops and work to boost Iraqi security forces.

“I think that there is a value in showing that this coalition is broad,” Rumsfeld said. “So I think the idea of going to the U.N., seeking an appropriate resolution, possibly having the effect of broadening somewhat the coalition, although it’s quite broad at the present time, is a good thing for Iraq. I think it’s a good thing for the region.”

Farley reported from the United Nations, Rotella from Paris and Williams from Baghdad. Staff writers Robin Wright and Janet Hook in Washington contributed to this report.