US offers to revise Iraq resolution

At Friday's first informal meeting of the 15 Security Council members to discuss the draft resolution, diplomats said the differences could be bridged if the United States agreed to move faster to restore Iraq's sovereignty and give the United Nations more power to rebuild the country.

Secretary General Kofi Annan has proposed a meeting of key foreign ministers to work out a compromise.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

The United States took a more flexible stance than it has on previous Iraq-related issues that have come before the council. Supporters and opponents of the US draft said Friday's closed-door session was constructive.

US Ambassador John Negroponte welcomed the "good discussion" at the meeting and stressed the US proposal was only a "working draft."

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell offered to "adjust and adapt" the draft resolution to demands by European governments for a quick transition to Iraqi rule in Baghdad. But in a swipe at France and Germany, Powell told reporters, "If you would like to see something different, then make a proposal in addition to an editorial comment."

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said in an interview published Friday that "we will make proposals, together with our partners on the Security Council." Germany, Russia, Chile and Mexico also have suggested changes.

De Villepin said France intends "absolutely" to cooperate with the United States to reach a consensus. "We're entering this new stage in a constructive and open spirit," he was quoted as saying in Le Figaro.

Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, the current Security Council president, said he plans further meetings of the 15 members next week.

Annan, meanwhile, said in a CNN interview that he has suggested foreign ministers of the five permanent council nations with veto power - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - meet with him soon, perhaps in Europe, "to explore a common ground and the way forward."