JURIST - Paper Chase: US, Britain present new Security Council resolution on Iraq

In a closed meeting of the UN Security Council Monday, the US and Britain presented a resolution that would formally transfer "governing authority" in Iraq to a sovereign interim government by June 30 and authorize a multinational force to maintain peace with Iraqi consent. The draft resolution gives the new Iraqi government the right to review the mandate of the multinational force and also gives the new government control over oil and gas resources. AP has the full story. According to the British ambassador to the UN, Emyr Jones Parry, the UN "will have a leading role" on the ground in Iraq, helping to organize elections, devising new institutions and helping with constitutional talks. BBC News has more. The draft resolution also reportedly grants the multinational force immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law as an extension of the immunity currently granted to coalition troops under Coalition Provisional Authority Order 17 [PDF]. The UK's Observer has more on the immunity provision.

UPDATE: The text of the draft resolution is available here [PDF] via BBC News. Under the resolution, the US-led multinational force would have "authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq." Reuters provides further highlights of the Iraq resolution.

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