“The real question is whether this progress is enough," De Villepin

UNITED NATIONS, October 14 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The United States plans to formally present the U.N. Security Council with a new draft resolution fixing for the first time a date for the Iraqis to write a constitution and hold elections, but making no similar firm schedule for ending the U.S. occupation.

The new political development came as yet more casualties remained to fall among the U.S. occupation troops in the war-ravaged Arab country.

The draft, a copy of which was obtained by press outlets, would give the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council until December 15 to come up with the timetable.

"The notion is to make every effort to convey back to the people of Iraq and to the interim Iraqi administration as many of those authorities and governmental powers as soon as practicable," U.S. Ambassador to the world body, John Negroponte, was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying.

However, the new version also keeps the same political sequence - writing a constitution first, elections later, sovereignty last - that has been criticized by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and several key Security Council nations.

Other nations have said they want sovereignty restored first and then for Iraqis to write a constitution and hold elections. U.S. officials say too rapid a transfer of power could doom the country to failure.

‘Vital Role’

Two U.S. soldiers were killed and one was injured in a military vehicle accident with a civilian one

The latest draft also retains an over-arching role for the occupying powers, against the demands to give the world body a larger role in the war-scarred country.

The proposed resolution says the U.N. "should strengthen its vital role in Iraq" by providing humanitarian assistance, promoting economic reconstruction and helping to restore "institutions for representative governments".

But, in calling for the establishment of a new multinational force for Iraq, reaffirms the authority of the United States and its military allies to command that force and administer the country, the Washington Post quoted the proposal as saying.

Some of the language in the new version allows Annan to decide how much the United Nations will participate in post-invasion Iraq, said AFP.

But diplomats said it was also unclear if the political role offered to the United Nations had been sufficiently expanded to meet the demands of those who want the world body to have a central position in post-invasion Iraq, AFP added.

Earlier this month, Annan expressed unusual criticism of the earlier draft, privately telling diplomats that the U.N. would not accept the limited political role proposed by Washington.

Annan later pulled most international U.N. staff out of Iraq and he said earlier drafts offered a too limited role to justify the risk of sending them back.

‘Not Fully Satisfied’

However, permanent countries in the world body reacted cautiously to the new proposal, as it ignores their earlier calls for a quick end to occupation and clear broader role for the U.N.

"The U.S. version of the resolution, whether it is the first version or the latest version, does not meet our expectations," Chinese ambassador Wang Guangye told reporters.

In Beijing Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Beijing was still studying the U.S. draft and maintained close consultations with all "relevant parties," she said.

A senior Russian U.N. diplomat who asked not to be named said that Moscow is "not fully satisfied by this draft because it does not take into account all our concerns".

"We need a clear timetable for the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty," he said.

France, one of the most vocal opponents of the earlier versions, said the new version would be under study.

"There is progress compared to the previous text. The real question is whether this progress is enough," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said at an EU meeting in Luxembourg.

Foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous told journalists that France has already said it would not veto the draft text.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said: "Whether it will be successful in the end is too early to predict."

But he said Germany would "proceed in a very constructive way".

Two previous drafts were blocked by disputes over how soon Iraqis will take control of their country and what the U.N. role should be. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday this could be the last attempt.

Britain is co-sponsoring the measure along with Spain.

The mounting cost - in both blood and money - of the occupation has put U.S. President George W. Bush under increased pressure to get other nations to play a larger role.

The U.S. had been keen to table the resolution before a donors' conference in Madrid on 24 October, which aims to raise some of the $55bn which the World Bank says is required for Iraq's reconstruction, according to the BBC online news service.

Washington wants a maximum of yes votes, rather than abstentions, from the full 15-member council.

More U.S. Casualties

Meanwhile, the U.S. military continue to face a wave of attacks by resistance fighters in Iraq, amidst calls for ending occupation and handing over the oil-rich country back to the Iraqis.

The U.S. occupation forces said Tuesday two U.S. soldiers died in a military vehicle accident in Baghdad and another was found dead floating in the Euphrates river in the northwestern Iraqi town of Haditha.

"Two 1st Armored Division soldiers were killed and one was injured in a military vehicle accident with a civilian vehicle" in Baghdad Monday, the US-led coalition said in a statement.

It also said a 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment soldier was found dead in the Euphrates river, in Haditha, 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Baghdad.