United Nations: The US has unveiled in the UN Security Council the much-awaited draft resolution on Iraq which calls for transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis, provides for control of interim Government over the country's oil resources and creates an American-led multi-national force with initial mandate for one year.

The draft empowers the multi-national force to "take all necessary measures" to maintain peace and security. The Council members immediately sought clarification as to how much power the interim Government would enjoy over the force and whether it would have veto power.

Even though the Bush administration had ignored the UN and some of its top officials had declared it irrelevant at the start of the Iraq war, Washington has now agreed to leave it to Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to name the interim Government which will include President, two Vice Presidents, Prime Minister and 20 other members.

Overall, the draft got a cautiously positive response from the members, including France and Germany who had blocked American efforts to get the Council's okay for military action against Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein.

The Council members have scheduled closed-door meetings on the draft tomorrow (May 26, 2004) by which time their Governments would have studied the implications and diplomats expect that it would be the beginning of a spirited debate, which could last several days.