PARIS, 24 September 2003 — Paris and Washington are bracing for a new diplomatic battle over Iraq in the United Nations as President Jacques Chirac flies to the United States for a summit with President George W. Bush.

The battle became inevitable last week when British Prime Minister Tony Blair failed to persuade Chirac to tone down France’s opposition to an Anglo-American draft resolution.

The draft, while giving the UN a major say in shaping the future of Iraq, keeps the United States in the driving seat.

As things stand now the Anglo-American draft could master a majority in the Security Council. Already supported by Spain and Bulgaria, it has also been welcomed by Mexico and Chile. Both Russia and China have indicated they will not veto it.

Even Germany, an ardent opponent of the war to topple Saddam Hussein, now says it wants to “open a new chapter” on the subject. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is scheduled to meet President Bush next week in a carefully prepared bid to repair the damage done to Washington-Berlin relations over Iraq.

The American strategy at present is aimed at isolating France to force it either to abstain or use its veto. In last year’s diplomatic battle over Iraq, France had an easy ride. It did not have to use its veto because the US-UK coalition, having failed to secure a majority within the Security Council, withdrew its draft.

This time, with a US-UK text likely to have a majority, France faces the prospect of either abstaining, that means becoming irrelevant, or casting a veto which could do further to relations with both the United States and Britain.

The French position is that the US-UK text could be accepted with some amendments. Some of these were spelled out by France’s Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin in an article he published in the Parisian evening newspaper Le Monde earlier this month.

They include:

The text should not use the word “liberation” to describe the US-UK action in Iraq. (That would be legitimising a war that France maintains was illegal and illegitimate.) The resolution should deal with measures needed to end “the occupation of Iraq”.

Iraq would be placed under a UN mandate for one year during which the political process to create an elected government in Baghdad will be completed.

The current administration headed by Paul Bremer should immediately hand over all power to an interim Iraqi government before the end of the year. Until then the existing Governing Council could represent Iraqi sovereignty.

The new interim Iraqi government should be widely representative, including some elements of the former ruling party, the Baath.

All foreign military forces in Iraq will be put under UN command. The commander-in-chief could be an American, acting under the authority of the UN administrator.

To head the UN mandate, France will nominate one of its own senior politicians. The name mentioned is that of former Defence Minister Francois Leotard who performed a similar role in Kosovo. Failing that Paris would accept a senior UN official such as Lakhdar Brahimi.

The permanent members of the Security Council will meet once a month to review the situation and take all measures needed to improve the lives of the Iraqis and speed up the creation of an elected government.

US forces in Iraq will stay out of urban areas to concentrate on guarding the borders and fighting the remnants of the Saddamite regime. The task of policing the cities will be handed over to a new Iraqi army and police force, backed by peacekeepers from France and a number of other European and Asian countries.

All the contracts already granted by the Bremmer administration will be subjected to review by the new Iraqi transition government which will remain in power until after next year’s general election.

The former regime’s leaders now in US custody will be handed over to a UN force until they are transferred to a new Iraqi authority after next year’s election.

Paris believes that even if the US-UK resolution is passed by the Security Council later this month, the issue of Iraq is likely to have a negative impact on Bush’s re-election prospects. Some French politicians, possibly including Chirac himself, believe that Bush will lose his re-election bid. And, when that happens, the French plan might appear as the only way out for the US under a new Democrat president.