Amid Chaos, Iraqis Make Case for Help at U.N.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - With the United Nations describing Iraq as a crippled society, three Iraqi delegates present their case to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday during a major debate on post-war reconstruction.

No decision will be made about whether the Iraqis represent an interim government or will occupy Iraq's U.N. seat.

But the three, part of a new 25-member U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, may try to declare themselves the new government of Iraq but get little response, diplomats said.

While Security Council members are eager to see Iraqis take the reins in Baghdad, the presence of Ahmed Chalabi, the head of the Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella organization of exiled political groups, is bound to cause some consternation.

Chalabi, an important player in the Governing Council, might belie the independence of the new group because of his well-known ties with the Pentagon, the envoys said.

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