Powell insists US must lead post-war Iraq

By STEPHEN CASTLE in Brussels

Colin Powell, the United States Secretary of State, is promising the United Nations a role in Iraq, but has made it clear that America will take the lead in determining the postwar future.

A day of frantic diplomacy in Brussels yesterday achieved a modest thaw in transatlantic relations but failed to resolve how much power the US will relinquish.

European countries see a central role for the UN as the prerequisite for a European Union contribution to rebuilding Iraq or for another idea discussed: Nato peacekeeping there.

After talks with EU officials and Nato Foreign Ministers, Powell made it clear that, having sacrificed their soldiers' lives, the victors would lead in creating a postwar Administration.

"It was the coalition that ... took on this difficult mission, at political expense and at the expense of the money that it cost, and at the expense of lives ... I think the coalition has to play the leading role in determining the way forward."

But in a carefully balanced contribution, he added that this was "not to say that we have to shut others out" or to deny the importance of "partnership with the international community and especially with the UN".

He also restated the US commitment to push Middle East peace.

Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary, said that "we are all agreed on the need to have a role for the UN, but there need to be a lot of discussions".

After the most serious transatlantic rift for years, a conciliatory response came yesterday from France, which had led the opposition to the war.

Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin called for a "central role for the UN which is the source of international legitimacy" but acknowledged that the US would have to run Iraq until it was made safe for others.

He did not rule out a peacekeeping role for Nato, although he called discussion premature.

But Powell said US and British forces would be responsible for stabilising the security situation and finding Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

"At the same time as the military commander is performing that job, we will quickly want to establish an interim authority so that the people see that their representatives are moving into positions of authority."

In contrast, George Papandreou, Foreign Minister of EU president Greece, stressed that a fresh UN resolution "will be a prerequisite of full involvement of the EU in post-conflict reconstruction".

With the US vision still at odds with that of many EU countries, diplomats concede that much work will need to be done at the UN on drafting an acceptable resolution.

One Nato source said: "There may not be an agreement but they are discussing the right issues in the right way".

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