Iraq Governing Council Calls for Control Story aired: Tuesday, September 23, 2003
There was no hint today in President Bush's speech of any timetable for a handover of Iraq to either United Nations or Iraqi authority.
That was in stark contrast to German Cchancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who spoke outside the U.N. this morning and said he wanted to see power handed over to the Iraqi people "in a matter of months." His call echoes French President Jacques Chirac stance on a swift handover.
Meanwhile this week, several members of Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council are in the U.S. to lobby congress for that same swift handover, something the Bush administration and its top Iraq administrator oppose.
Ahmad Chalabi, the current head of the Iraqi Governing Council, was sitting today in Iraq's seat at the U.N. General Assembly., but a U.N. spokesman told us his status was still "provisional" and he will remain unless a U.N. member country raises an objection.
Guests:
Mustafa Alrawi, managing editor of the English language weekly newspaper Iraq Today.
