UN: No Autonomy For Kurds

The draft had included a clause that gave U.S. troops the freedom to conduct maneuvers whenever they wish. The clause was changed four times and finally was included on the condition that permission is obtained from Iraqi offices. Although Kurdish leaders, Mesud Barzani and Celal Talabani, demanded that the temporary constitution include Kurdish autonomy, there was no such article in the decision.

UN Security Council members announced they would support the decision draft after the changes and approved the draft in a vote yesterday. The Iraqi administration was given veto authority in an amendment to the controversial article that ‘allowed invasion forces to conduct military operation without Iraqi approval.’ U.S. Acceptance of close cooperation with the Iraqi government led France to support the draft. French Foreign Minister, Michel Barnier, said that they decided to support the draft after the amendments made by the U.S. and the U.K. and added that they were against the war, but would vote for it in order to overcome the difficulties in Iraq. Even though the Russians had some important objections to the draft, President Vladimir Putin, announced later that they would support the latest draft. Germany’s U.N. Ambassador, Gunther Pleuger, said his country approved of the new paragraph and said they also agreed on the new draft.