Iraq violence gives UN new clout

The top leaders would probably be selected by the UN. Brahimi said he'd like to select technocrats for the role, since outright politicians could be seen as manipulating the process to prevail at the polls. Iraqi leaders who consulted with Brahimi on his week-long visit say the envoy was also concerned that the ethnic-based approach would introduce divisions into Iraqi society at a time when national unity is paramount.

The Governing Council is split over support for the UN plan. Some see the world body as the only way forward, while others, like Achmad Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), have repeatedly dismissed the UN since it opposed the US-led invasion.

Dr. Chalabi, who lived in exile for 40 years, has limited political support in Iraq and would probably be sidelined by Brahimi's plan. With close ties to the Pentagon and as one of the principal conduits on intelligence about alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction before the war, he was originally seen as a future leader of Iraq by the US.

"The concept of Brahimi appointing people is not acceptable, the concept of technocrats working out the political problems of Iraq is not acceptable,'' says Entifadh Qanbar, the spokesman for the INC. "If you want to give the UN the position to appoint people and run the political process [that] means that Iraqis will not get the sovereignty we want."

Others disagree. "What Iraq needs is leaders who have deep roots here, who have proven themselves to be effective and trusted by the Iraqi public,'' says Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar, a Governing Council member who represents a large tribal confederation. "The most important thing that should happen is we should stop looking at Iraq through this ethnosectarian lens."

Sheikh Yawar says he's delighted that the UN's role looks set to expand. "Brahimi has enough experience to be the most helpful person in rebuilding Iraq. He has an extraordinary record and is quite competent."

Brahimi has had a tense relationship with Chalabi over the past decade; The INC alleged he was a Saddam supporter in 1991. The INC, which receives financial support from the US, advocated for a US invasion throughout the 1990s.

On Friday, Brahimi spoke out against the de-Baathification process inside Iraq, led largely by Chalabi and his allies. "It is difficult to understand that thousands upon thousands of teachers, university professors, [and] medical doctors ... who are sorely needed, have been dismissed," he said. In Hussein's Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were expected to join the party or lose their jobs.

Mr. Qanbar attacked Brahimi's credibility on the issue. "This is an outrageous interference in Iraq's internal affairs,'' he says. "The Iraqi people have suffered from the Baath party for 35 years, and we feel this represents provocation on his part."

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