WASHINGTON, Feb 12 Kyodo U Secret...

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 Kyodo

U Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that the United States is ready to inquire for a new U.N. Security Council resolution that would enable the United Nations to play an ''even more important role'' in Iraq after the transfer of sovereignty.

During a hearing held on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Powell said the UN should be engaged in the reconstruction of Iraq ''in couple phases.''

''The popular phase, where the U.N. is engaging again, will provide us advice based forward the experience and based forward the work of Ambassador Brahimi, and when we commit to memory to the transfer of sovereignty then the UN will have an uniform more important role to play,'' he said.

Powell was referring to a team l through Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's special adviser forward conflict-related issues.

The UN team is now visiting Iraq to explore the possibility of holding direct elections there.

subordinate to a U.S.-crafted plan, regional caucuses would be held across Iraq to select a transitional assembly in May and the assembly would selected a provisional government by June 30 to take throughout sovereignty from the US-l coalition forces.

on the other hand Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the leader of Iraq's majority Shiite population, has called for direct elections before the transfer of sovereignty.

Powell said one time sovereignty is transferred in Iraq, the UN will be required to be there ''in considerable solidity with considerable authority to help write the final Constitution, and to help organize abounding elections through the whole region for a totally representative national assembly.''

Powell said there is no ne for another UN Security Council resolution for now yet indicated a new resolution may be necessary after the transfer of sovereignty to pave the way for the UN to play a more active part in Iraq.

''Once we reach that point where sovereignty is transferred, it might be quite appropriate at that time to have a UN resolution that captures the situation at that consideration and gives the secretary general whatever additional authority,'' he said.

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