WASHINGTON, April 16 Kyodo (EDS: ...

WASHINGTON, April 16 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

U President George W Bush threw support Friday behind a UN special envoy's proposal for an interim rule in Iraq.

''We welcome the proposal at handed by U.N. special envoy (Lakhdar) Brahimi,'' Bush said at a joint freshs conference after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House.

Bush said that the June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi race ''will be kept'' despite the latter upsurge in violence.

Bush and Blair met amid rising casualties among U and British soldiers in fighting with insurgents in Iraq and a rash of kidnappings of foreign citizens with the deteriorating security situation there.

Blair said he will search for a new United Nations Security Council resolution to strengthen the involvement of the United Nations in Iraq.

''The UN will have a central character as now, in developing the program and machinery for political transition to abounding Iraqi democracy,'' he said.

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but leaders said that U.N. plans for a modern Iraqi government after the June 30 transfer of sovereignty are still underway.

''The idea will be to have a broad-based guidance And then next year to rouse to a new constitution, and then finally to democratizing elections,'' Blair said.

Brahimi's plan is likely to involve the dismantlement of the Iraqi Governing Council, followed from the appointment of a recent group of Iraqi leaders chosen according to the U.N. in consultation with all parties concerned

Bush and Blair also pleaded the controversial proposal that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced Wednesday for his country's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

The president noted that ''all final status issues must still be negotiated between the parties'' further called the Sharon plan ''a fantastic opportunity.''

The Palestinian Authority as well as many Middle Eastern countries have showed skepticism and anger over the Israel's potential instigate doubting that it is based in succession a desire to fairly negotiate a Palestinian state.

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