UK hopes for Iraq vote this week

By Paul Reynolds
BBC News Online world affairs correspondent

The British government hopes that, with the interim Iraqi government named, the United Nations Security Council will vote this week on a new resolution giving approval to the handover arrangements.

Interim Prime Minister Allawi to agree security control

A Foreign Office spokesman in London said: "All the signs at the UN are pleasantly positive. The original draft resolution will be changed slightly but not fundamentally."

The United States and Britain would like the vote to come before the celebrations of D-Day on 6 June or, if not then, by the G8 summit in the American state of Georgia starting on 8 June. This would enable the Western allies to present a common front after their arguments over the Iraq invasion.

But first the new Iraqi government will have to reach agreement with the coalition on the control of security after the handover on 30 June.

Letters on security

There will be an exchange of letters with the commander of the multi-national force (MNF) - the foreign troops which will stay in Iraq.

This has to take place before the resolution is put to a vote because security arrangements are such a key part of the handover.

It is possible that the letters will go through the president of the Security Council.

The letters will form what a British official called a "pre-agreed contract".

The first letter will be from the interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. He will formally ask the MNF for help in maintaining security and fighting terrorism.

The MNF is expected to accept these roles and make requests of the Iraqis for assistance in carrying them out.

Aim is consensus

The letters will stress the need for consensus and co-operation between the MNF and the new government. This will be carried out through a National Security Committee or Council chaired by the Iraqi prime minister. It will formulate the broad policy and resolve any differences.

The hope is that there will be no need for any veto by the Iraqis. It is not clear whether the letters will spell out who has the final say or whether this will be left to decisions at the time.

Once the letters are agreed, then the discussions in the Security Council could come to a conclusion quite quickly.

All the signs at the UN are pleasantly positive British Foreign Office spokesman

The resolution has run into criticism from France, Russia and China, all of whom want clearer indications that the handover will mean a real transfer of power.

France also wanted the mandate for the MNF to run out when a new government is formed in Iraq next January after elections.

However, Foreign Office sources in London say that there will be no date set for a withdrawal.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who is to keep his job in the interim government, will join the talks in New York.

"We want the transfer of sovereignty to be full and to be genuine and for the Iraqi people to feel it is a real change," he said.