(29 Aug 2003)

1. Wide shot of news conference
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Philip T Reeker, deputy White House spokesman:
"Well first of all I don't think it is a discussion that is initiated by (US) Deputy Secretary (of State) Armitage, it's a discussion that has been going on for some time as he indicated. I think that a number of you have looked at his comments in a response to some questions from some of your colleagues in an interview. Secretary Powell himself said last week after his meeting with Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, in New York, that we would be working with the Secretary General's staff, with our Security Council's colleagues to see what steps might be taken to further encourage other United Nations members states' rebuilding. Remember that there are already a number of states involved in the process, many of them with troops on the ground supporting the efforts there of stabilisation and security."
3. Reporters
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Philip T Reeker, deputy White House spokesman:
"We've got a long way to go and there's really not a whole lot I can add to that. No determinations have been made, no decisions have been made. The exploration, the discussion, the dialogue in this process continues. The important thing is that we are committed to our goals for Iraq and that is to see a stable and hopefully prosperous country emerge and we're talking to others in the international community about how we can best continue going about that."
5. Wide shot of news conference

STORYLINE:

The US administration is making little headway in its new efforts to draw other nations into contributing peacekeeping troops to Iraq by having the United Nations endorse the operation.

The US insistence on retaining control of all troops in Iraq has run into other countries' demands for greater UN control over economic and political decisions in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

A State Department official said on Thursday that the US was seeking input on a proposed resolution giving the United Nations a mandate to deploy peacekeeping troops from other countries, but under US command.

US diplomats at the United Nations were broaching the idea in informal discussions with other governments.

The US goal is to have a resolution ready for consideration when foreign leaders gather in New York toward the end of September for the annual special session of the UN General Assembly, an official said on condition of anonymity.

The US proposal is that the 138,000 US troops in Iraq, the 23,000 sent there by Britain and 26 other countries, and any additional forces would be given a UN mandate for their peacekeeping operation.

A US commander would remain in charge of all troops.

US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, told a group of reporters on Tuesday that one idea being explored was "a multinational force under UN leadership, but the American would be the UN commander."

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said on Thursday that that idea was presented by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan several days ago.

The issue is a sensitive one within the Bush administration.

The White House and Pentagon are reluctant to assign a major role to the United Nations, even though the proposal under consideration would not place it in charge of peacekeeping troops.

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