White House works towards transfer of sovereignty in Iraq, Bush and Cheney look forward to meeting with 9/11 Commission, telephone call to Thailand's prime minister

WHITE HOUSE WORKS TOWARDS TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN IRAQ

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters April 27 that sovereignty will be transferred to the Iraqi people on June 30, and the United States is moving forward to meet that commitment.

"The Iraqi people want us to meet that timetable," he said, "and we anticipate that in accordance with the oft-expressed preferences of Iraqi leaders, that the Iraqis themselves will impose some limits on the authority of that interim government."

When questioned about the interim government's structure, McClellan said, "This is an interim representative body that we are talking about. The precise structure and composition of the interim government are being worked out among Iraqi leaders and Mr. Brahimi in consultation with the Coalition Provisional Authority.

"The Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist come June 30, but the law and rules that define the authorities of that interim government will be contained in an annex to the Transitional Administrative Law that was signed by the Iraqi Governing Council in early March," the spokesman said.

"Iraqis have made it very clear that they want limits on the authority of the interim government. The annex to the Transitional Administrative Law will define in precise ways the interim government's authorities," McClellan said. "The interim government has two basic functions that it will undertake: the day-to-day responsibility for the administration of Iraq and to prepare the country for the holding of direct national elections no later than January 31, 2005," he added.

The Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL) lays the foundation and procedure for democratic elections and for a new constitution, which will be written by an elected Iraqi assembly and approved by the Iraqi people. The TAL was written by the Iraqi Governing Council and introduced March 1.

The spokesman told reporters that the although the U.S. embassy will be operated by the State Department, the Pentagon will continue to oversee coalition military operations in Iraq.

"The Iraqi people have made it very clear that they want us to continue to help work with the Iraqi security forces to provide for a better security situation in the country," McClellan said.

The press secretary underscored the United Nations' role in Iraq. "The Transitional Administrative Law calls for elections and the drafting of the constitution, and spells out the timetable for doing so. And so the United Nations has a vital role to play."

"This is central to winning the war on terrorism, McClellan said, "A free and peaceful Iraq will help bring about greater stability in a very dangerous region in the world."

BUSH, CHENEY LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH 9/11 COMMISSION

White House Spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters April 27 that President Bush and Vice-President Cheney looked forward to their April 29 meeting with the bi-partisan September 11 Commission.

"The president strongly supports the commission, and this meeting is about helping the commission piece together all of the information they have been provided to give as complete a picture as possible to the American people," McClellan said.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States -- also known as the 9/11 Commission -- has been conducting hearings into the events surrounding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The spokesman said that Bush would meet with Chief of Staff Andrew Card and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice before the meeting with the commission. He also told reporters that White House Counsel Al Gonzales would be present at the meeting.

When questioned by a reporter whether the presence of both the president and vice-president presented a conflict of interest, McClellan said that "this is not an adversarial process, we are all working towards the same objective. Remember this is not the beginning of the process. It is towards the end."

The spokesman said, "This is a process to help the American people learn what happened leading up to the events of September 11."

BUSH THANKS THAILAND FOR SUPPORT IN IRAQ

"President Bush called Thailand's Prime Minister Chinnawat Thanksin to express his appreciation for Thailand's support in Iraq and for the prime minister's strong leadership," the press secretary said. "The prime minister and president also discussed the situation in Burma."

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)