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Powell hopeful on new U.N. resolutionGoal is multinational force of up to 15,000 troops, he says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday that a second version of a draft U.N. resolution on Iraq would be ready within days, based on conversations between U.S. officials and other world leaders. "We will begin to share that with our friends on the Security Council. I can't tell you when the resolution will be passed," Powell said on ABC's "This Week." Speaking on CNN's "Late Edition," he said, "I'm sensing that within the Security Council there are people who want to move forward to a new resolution ... that would provide a broader international mandate for what we're doing. "It would involve the creation of a multinational force-cover for the troops that are there." Powell said such a force might comprise a division of 10,000 to 15,000 troops. Among the countries considering sending troops are Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea, but India has backed off, he said. Powell said U.S. commanders are preparing contingencies if a new international division can't be formed, including the call-up of more U.S. reservists. In any event, they know such a force is likely to be relatively small, he said. Asked if the United States was prepared to give up some control in Iraq to get a resolution passed, Powell told CNN that the issue was more complicated than that. "There's no country that has said, 'Oh, please, let us run the show,'" Powell said. "The [U.N.] secretary-general has not asked to run the show. What [the members] want is a transfer of authority as quickly as possible to the Iraqis. "We want that. But we can't do it in a hurried manner before the Iraqis are prepared to discharge those responsibilities." Other developments• Thousands took to the streets of Hollywood, California, on Sunday to protest the occupation of Iraq in one of several weekend demonstrations around the world criticizing the Bush administration. An estimated 3,000 people took part in the peaceful march and rally, some chanting, "George Bush, Uncle Sam, Iraq will be your Vietnam," while walking down Sunset Boulevard. (Full story) • Americans are equally divided over Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, according to a Newsweek poll released Saturday. When asked whether they approved of Bush's stewardship in Iraq, 47 percent of respondents said "yes" and 46 percent "no." And 56 percent said the United States was spending too much money for operations in postwar Iraq, compared with 31 percent who said the spending was about right. • Personnel involved in an incident August 13 in which a U.S. helicopter dislodged a religious flag from a communications tower in an impoverished Shiite area of Baghdad have been disciplined, a military spokesman said Sunday. The incident, perceived by some Iraqis as disrespectful to their religion, triggered violent protests in which Shiites fired on U.S. troops, who returned fire, killing one demonstrator and wounding several others. The names of those disciplined and their punishments were not released. • An Iraqi man was killed during an exchange of gunfire with a Polish military patrol in al-Hilla, a town southeast of Baghdad, a Polish forces spokesman told CNN on Sunday. Maj. Andrzey Wiatrowski said the patrol came upon 10 to 15 men late Saturday and asked for their identity papers, but they refused to cooperate. The group opened fire at the patrol, which fired back, he said. The soldiers were not hurt, and one Iraqi was detained, he said. The others escaped. • Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from talks with President Bush at Camp David with no commitment on his country's cooperation in postwar Iraq or to end its supply of nuclear technology to Iran. However, Putin joined Bush in declaring opposition to the potential development of nuclear weapons by Iran and North Korea. (Full story) CNN's Jamie McIntyre, Jason Bellini, David Ensor, Michael Holmes, Andrea Koppel, Phil Littleton, Liz Neisloss, Kris Osborn, Nic Robertson, Barbara Starr, Harris Whitbeck and Ayman Mohyeldin contributed to this report. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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