Attacks on US soldiers occupying Iraq should not be billed as "resistance," the interim Iraq Governing Council's president said Tuesday on the Quarter-based al-Jazeera television.
"Some of the current attacks are carried out by remnants of the previous regime, some are acts of revenge, and others are out of ignorance," Ibrahim al-Jaafari told al-Jazeera.
The current assaults are lacking the nature of resistance, namely value, principle and responsibility, he said.
According to Al-Jaafari, the security issue in the Iraqi society is one of the priorities of the Governing Council.
"We want crimes to be fought by Iraqis, and we do not have a problem in this field," he said, adding that the council wants to make the task of maintaining security an "Iraqi responsibility."
"The limited authorities given to it by the Americans on this issue will not be an obstacle for the council to achieve this goal," said the Shiite leader.
"Not all that is said by the Americans is fixed," he affirmed,saying the council is seeking to shorten the period of occupationby American troops.
In addition to security, providing services like electricity, water and communication is a necessity too, he said. Al-Jaafari was the first president of the council, which had decided on a nine-man monthly rotation of presidency.
Members of the council again convened on Tuesday to discuss the process of forming a cabinet.
The council was established on July 13, with its 25 members totally appointed by the US administration in Iraq.
Meanwhile, anti-American attacks across the war-shattered country continued Tuesday.
Reports said a mine planted on a bridge in Fallujah, 50 km (30miles) west of Baghdad, exploded and damaged one of four passing US military vehicles.
Also in Fallujah, a city stands inside the so-called "Sunni Triangle", two US soldiers were reportedly wounded in the day when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a police station.
The US military said it had no immediate information on the incident.
(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2003)
