US calls off congress on Iraq's future
Washington has abandoned plans to call a huge national congress of exiles and opposition leaders to form a new Iraq government, and will instead call a small council of Iraqis to be appointed by US occupation authorities.
Two to three dozen Iraqi advisers could be in place within three weeks, a senior US official told The Washington Times.
The council would be charged with drafting a constitution and other tasks leading to a turnover of authority by the US and its coalition partners to a democratically elected government.
The official declined to give the reasons behind the shift, but it appeared to be designed to dilute the influence of some exiled political groups that had supplied intelligence to the US and had exerted influence over American planning for the war.
He said the coalition, which has assumed responsibility as the occupying power, would remain in control of Iraq’s affairs until a permanent government is elected.
