Conflicting interests raise frictio between US, Iraqi council Jordan Times

(interesting ...is this a Moonie owned paper or Murdock?))

http://www.jordantimes.com/Thu/news/news6.htm

BAGHDAD (AP) — Personal agendas, ethnic rivalries and differences over visions for a new Iraq are responsible for American dissatisfaction with Washington's own creation — the Iraqi Governing Council.
Frustration over the US-appointed council has emerged at a time of escalating attacks by Iraqi insurgents, most recently a mortar barrage late Tuesday against the coalition headquarters compound.

In response to the growing insurgency, the US military has adopted a new tactic of answering guerrilla attacks with massive firepower — which risks civilian casualties and alienating Iraqis.

Heavy-handed moves against the 25-seat Governing Council also could be seen by the already distrustful Iraqi public as a sign that the Americans aren't serious about granting Iraqis a meaningful role in their own affairs.

Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for council member Ahmed Chalabi, said the complaints against the body were "nonsense and baseless" and that the "only solution is that the council be given full powers and sovereignty." "The Governing Council should not alone bear the responsibility of any inefficiency," Mahmoud Othman, a Sunni Kurd member of the council, told the Associated Press. "This is supposed to be a partnership based on equality, but when the Americans want to find solution for their problems, they do it in any way that suits them." Paul Bremer, the chief civilian administrator for Iraq, was summoned unexpectedly from Baghdad to a White House meeting Tuesday with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other key officials.

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