US pushes new Iraq resolution but few changes made by Marc Carnegie UNITED NATIONS, Oct 1 (AFP) The United States on Wednesday unveiled a new draft UN resolution on Iraq it hopes will convince wary nations to contribute money and troops to help rebuild the country. The draft, obtained by AFP, fine-tunes the language in a bid to win over countries like France that want a speedy handover of power but stops short of fixing a date to end the US occupation. US ambassador John Negroponte released the draft at a meeting with veto-wielding Security Council powers Britain, China, France and Russia. He also gave it to Germany, a current council member. "The day when Iraqis govern themselves must come quickly," says the draft, which alters an earlier version that met resistance on the council when presented in September. It underlines that the US occupation ||| NA PA=0,OG=0,FP=0,FT=0,FM=0,NO=0 is "temporary" and will last "until an internationally recognised, representative government is established by the people of Iraq." ||| NO CU=0,NO=3 France has said six months should be enough time for the United States to give sovereignty to Iraqis. The United States says that deadline is unrealistic. Instead, the draft says that control in Iraq should be "progressively undertaken" by the US-appointed Iraqi governing council, which should set its own timetable for writing a constitution and then holding elections. The new draft also appears to expand some UN responsibilities but does not lay out the central role that France, Germany and Russia have been demanding for the world body in Iraq. "We have incorporated many of the ideas and suggestions that we've heard from others," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington. "We have tried to respond to the desire to see more of a sense of movement and momentum on the political process," he said. France has said it will not block the new resolution and diplomats say there is a strong desire to come to a consensus and avoid the bitter divisions that split the council before the war. But differences remain and it was unclear if the new text offered enough changes to win full backing from sceptics on the council. The United States wants a maximum of yes votes, rather than abstentions, from the full 15-member council, which will hold new talks on the Iraq situation on Thursday. Washington wants the resolution tohe risk to UN personnel of being associated with the US occupation. Twenty-two people were killed in the August 19 suicide bombing, including Annan's special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. Annan has yet to name a replacement.