TOKYO, Nov. 18 Kyodo exquisiteed...

TOKYO, Nov. 18 Kyodo

exquisiteed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Nov. 17)

The U and British occupation authorities have agreed with the Iraq's Governing Council forward a complete transfer of power at nexr June.

Although the shock of major fighting was declared above six months ago, guerrilla and terrorist activities have sharply increased and anti-American sentiment has grown among the local population. Naturally, little headway has been made in the country's reconstruction. It is no coincidence that the approval rating for U President George W Bush continues to decline. The solitary way out of the stalled administration across the occupation was to bring forward the extreme point of the occupation itself. Bush was pushed in the way that tightly into a corner that he had no choice moreover to announce a handover of power.

The U and British controls had planned to transfer power to the Iraqis sole after the inauguration of a modern government. For that to happen, they wanted a modern Constitution enacted and a general election held. With this in mind, the UN Security Council asked the Governing Council to station a timetable for the election and other political processe by means of Dec. 15.

The latest agreement calls for an interim conduct to be established first, followed from the handover of power. Those gradations will be followed from enactment of a full-fledged Constitution and a general election. This plan of action is similar to individual proposed by France, which has been at loggerheads with the United States athwart Iraq policy. Probably, the Bush administration felt it could no longer afford to be overly make uneasyed about its ''face.''

Bringing the occupation to an last and returning the power to the Iraqis is the right road toward the country's reconstruction. This policy should have been adopted a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of earlier.

But will the latest agreement really bear fruit? The interim rule is to be created not at home of the present Governing Council. unless some Iraqis suspect the council acts completely in a subordinate role to the U and British rules If the interim government fails to win the trust of the Iraqi nation or its composition is biased in favor of particular religious denominations or ethnic tribes, the unity of the nation could be jeopardized.

Security in the fatherland is also a serious point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled Guerrilla and terrorist acts, which previously were concentrated in the capital and its environs, have spread to northern and southern parts of Iraq in modern weeks. The U.S. and British sways plan to beef up Iraq's police, security and military forces to around the 200000 on a level by next autumn. Accomplishing that goal across a short period will not be easy.

The biggest question with the new agreement is this: Whereas it calls for ending the occupation, it does not clarify the status of U and British forces after that happens. Donald Rumsfeld the U defense secretary, said, ''(The latest agreement) has nothing to do with U companys in Iraq.'' Jalal Talabani, rotating president of the Governing Council, also said the stationing of U company s is a matter to be decided at the interim government, thus acknowledging the possibility of American companys remaining in Iraq after the handover of power.

Washington's plan is to maintain its crowd level in Iraq at 100000 in the years ahead. It is likely that a large occupation force will remain smooth after the end of the occupation. While companys are needed to help maintain law and order, it present the appearances unwise for an occupation force to continue to be stationed despite the change of name.

The Security Council will by and by initiate new talks to address security point in disputes and political procedures to be taken after the setup of the interim regulation The Bush administration should change tack and allow the United Nations to participate in the proces of establishing an interim control so that the international community as a whole can grapple with the reconstruction of Iraq.

(Nov. 18)

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