The United States intends to produce a revised resolution today to lift sanctions against Iraq that would clarify and strengthen the United Nations' role in forming a new government in Baghdad, diplomats said.
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After hours of closed-door Security Council consultations yesterday, several nations, including Russia, France, Germany and China, which had opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq, were reported to have qualms about the resolution.
The measure would give the United States and Britain broad powers to decide how to spend Iraq's oil wealth in rebuilding the war-torn country, with an international advisory board that has few powers.
US Ambassador Mr John Negroponte said he expected to push the resolution to a vote next week and would present a modified revision of the draft to Middle East experts of the other 14 council members at a meeting late today.
But the urgency of his remarks seemed to be tempered by comments from Secretary of State Colin Powell, who told reporters in Sofia, Bulgaria, today that the United States would consider suspending rather than lifting sanctions, proposals Russia and France had made earlier.
"We think it is much cleaner to lift the sanctions but as part of the discussion and negotiation process we will look at the idea of initially suspending sanctions," he said at a news conference after visiting Russia yesterday.
A suspension of the embargoes would still give the United States most of what it wants. But Russian officials have emphasized that UN resolutions call for a return of UN arms inspectors before a final lift of the sanctions to make sure Iraq no longer has weapons of mass destruction. The United States so far has rejected any return of the inspectors.