Iraqi delegation embraced at UN

"Our primary goal is to shorten the duration of the interim administration, to pave the way for a new constitution and a popularly elected government in Iraq," Pachachi said. "The state intelligence services and mandatory arrests and random executions are done for once and for all."

The United States and Britain, struggling to restore security and revive Iraq’s crippled economy, are seeking financial and military support. But countries like France, Russia, Germany and India have said they need a new U.N. mandate first, an issue none of them mentioned on Tuesday.

However, the German and French ambassadors said financial support for reconstruction would only be forthcoming if international agencies had a say in how it would be spent.

German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger and his French counterpart, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, called for a multilateral fund that would receive financial contributions. They also said an international monitoring board appointed by the United States and Britain should have more of a say in deciding how Iraq’s oil revenue should be spent.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his special envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, greeted the Governing Council as a first step toward a permanent government but did not endorse it for a U.N. seat.

Most Security Council members echoed their praise. But Syrian Ambassador Mikail Wehbe said the Iraqi council would be judged on steps it takes to maintain "good-neighborliness."

The Iraqi council has the authority to appoint interim diplomats abroad, approve budgets and propose policies but the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq can veto its decisions.

"The Governing Council is the key element in the Iraqi interim administration and the first step in a process that will lead back to an internationally recognized representative government," said British U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock.

Pachachi gave a long list of tasks he expected the Governing Council to fulfill or at least begin. The council, he said, planned to hire 30,000 police and to try to absorb about 200,000 demobilized Iraqi soldiers into the work force.

Ahmed Chalabi, head of the exiled Iraqi National Council told reporters, it was also important for the council to get support of Iraq’s neighbors, an apparent reference to Syria. Chalabi said a future constitution had to be tolerant of all religions but reflect the "role of Islam" and Muslim culture.

Chalabi, who was reported to have supplied U.S. officials with intelligence, was also the only one to comment on the shootings by the U.S. military of Saddam’s sons."We are working hard to finish this job by finding Saddam," he told reporters.

The third member of the Iraqi delegation was Akila al-Hashemi, a mid-level Foreign Ministry diplomat under Saddam and one of three women on the council.

Annan appealed for an end to U.S. military occupation as soon as possible and said the Iraqi people should be able to see a "clear timetable with a specific sequence of events leading to the full restoration of sovereignty."