Washington's administrator for Iraq met some of the country's prospective new leaders on Thursday and told them formation of a new Iraqi government will start next week.
However, he said that Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, is not Washington's choice to lead Iraq, despite his reputation as a Pentagon favourite.
Jay Garner's team began talks on the future of the country with Baghdad academics and community leaders. The meeting took place at a conference center in the capital close to Saddam's bombed-out main palace complex.
Garner urged Iraqis to get back to work after the three-week war that ousted Saddam but left much of the country in chaos. He said Iraq should build on its proud history and oil wealth.
Tanks and other armored vehicles ringed the venue following anti-American demonstrations in Baghdad by members of the country's Shi'ite majority, who have demanded that the U.S.-led troops who ousted Saddam two weeks ago get out of the country..
Garner's deputy, British general Tim Cross, told reporters that Iraqis must be allowed to vent their fury after decades of Saddam's iron rule, but he did not want to see this lead to a fundamentalist religious government like that ruling neighboring Shi'ite Iran.
Cross said he did not believe all of Iraq's Shi'ites wanted such a government either. "I genuinely believe that many of these people want to be part of a democratic Iraq...there are many people in that community who want a democratic Iraq. I'm absolutely confident of that," he said.
Garner told about 60 Iraqis attending the Baghdad meeting his job was "to stabilize the environment and to allow you to begin to rule your country."
"You have a great pride, blood in your veins that comes from the birth of civilization, the birth of government in Iraq," said the retired general, who heads the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance.
"You have a strong middle-class, very well-educated, hard working," Garner said.
"Our purpose here in your country is to create an environment for you so that we can begin a process of government that leads to a democratic form...a government that is a mosaic of the Iraqi people. I think we can do this rapidly."
"I think you'll begin to see the governmental process start next week, by the end of next week. It will have Iraqi faces on it. It will be governed by the Iraqis."
(Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
