Bremer Fought to Weaken Iraqi Oil Watchdog-Sources

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - During three months of tough negotiations, Iraq's U.S. administrator fought hard to trim the powers of an independent watchdog being set up to monitor how he spends Iraq's oil money, international agency officials said on Friday.

At one point, administrator Paul Bremer suspended the talks for six weeks to show his displeasure with efforts by the agencies -- including the United Nations and World Bank -- to ensure the independence of the new watchdog agency, to be known as the International Advisory and Monitoring Board, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But in the end, the agencies got a deal on the ground rules they could live with, the officials said.

"The resolution says there must be an independent voice, and there will be," one official said. "One has to wonder whether this was a question of ignorance or ill will," this official said, referring to Bremer's tenacity.

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