EU Foreign Policy Chief Says U.N. Mandate Required for Strong Participatio

[papau]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA0IYDMSKD.html

EU Foreign Policy Chief Says U.N. Mandate Required for Strong Participation in Iraq
The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) - The European Union would need a clear U.N. mandate and a timetable for handing over power in Iraq before agreeing to "strong" participation in rebuilding the country, the EU foreign policy chief was quoted as saying Friday. Javier Solana told the German daily Die Welt he was confident that a U.N. resolution on Iraq would be passed by the end of October, before a donors meeting in Madrid, Spain. But he said it would have to meet certain requirements.

"It must lay out the precise political role of the UN," Solana told the daily in an interview to be published Saturday. "In addition, we need a timeline for turning power over to the Iraqis. These are the requirements for a strong EU engagement in the reconstruction." <snip>

.... focused on how fast an internationally recognized Iraqi government can be established, who should be in charge of the political process leading to elections, and how much power the Governing Council should have in the interim. <snip>