Iraqi sovereignty after turnover hedged

Iraq’s future government will have to give some of its sovereignty back to the U.S.-led forces in the country after the transfer of power on June 30 to allow American troops to provide security, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the United States began assuming responsibility for two provinces in south-central Iraq in anticipation of when more than 2,000 troops from Spain, Honduras and the Dominican Republic pull out in the next few weeks.

Britain signaled that it might increase its force in Iraq to compensate for the upcoming withdrawals and help quell a surge of violence against coalition troops and civilians.

Mr. Powell, in an interview with Reuters news agency, said sovereignty will be “limited” for the yet-to-be-decided new government in order for it “to get up and running.”

“It’s sovereignty, but [some] of that sovereignty they are going to allow us to exercise on their behalf and with their permission. It is not as if we are seizing anything away from them,” he said.

“It is with the understanding that they need our help, and for us to provide that help, we have to be able to operate freely, which in some ways infringes on what some would call full sovereignty,” Mr. Powell said.

Poland, which leads the multinational force in Iraq that includes the departing Spanish troops, said yesterday the American military already had began taking over those countries’ sectors.

“This transfer will be gradual. It should have little effect on the overall situation in the zone,” Polish Army Col. Zdzislaw Gnatkowski told Reuters.

Poland is reviewing the status of its 2,500 troops, but has said it has no immediate plans to withdraw from Iraq.

The British government confirmed that it is considering beefing up its force in southern Iraq, although officials refused to cite even preliminary estimates. Media reports suggested that up to 2,000 troops might be added to the 7,500 already in Iraq.

“In light of recent events — the security situation and the anticipated withdrawal of the Spanish troops — we are in discussions with coalition partners,” a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said.

Troop numbers are “one of the things we will be discussing,” she said.

Also yesterday, 52 retired British diplomats issued a harsh critique of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s support for the Bush administration.

“The conduct of the war in Iraq has made it clear that there was no effective plan for the post-Saddam settlement,” the former envoys — who include some of Britain’s most experienced diplomats — said in a letter to Mr. Blair.

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