The US amendment on Iraq has added several tasks for the multinational force to be installed to address the mounting security concerns of the United Nations.

According to a copy of the draft obtained by Xinhua late Wednesday, the newly submitted draft authorizes a multinational force to take all necessary measures to ensure "conditions for the implementation of the timetable and program," which has been required from the Iraqi Governing Council for a new constitution.

It further specified that the force should "contribute to the security of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, the Governing Council of Iraq...," all of which were targets of recent terror attacks.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that the major obstacle for the world body to go back to Iraq is the worsening security situation. On Aug. 19, he lost his Special Representative to Iraq, Sergio de Mello, in a deadly car bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

The United States submitted the revised draft resolution to the UN Security Council late Wednesday.

The new draft asked the Iraqi Governing Council to provide a timetable for the drafting of a new constitution for Iraq and for the holding of democratic elections under that constitution.

But it does not mention any specific dates for these two key steps toward the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.

The draft was circulated at a closed-door meeting of the five permanent Security Council members, namely the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 2, 2003)