Гарнер: Правительство Ирака частично начнет функционировать к середине мая

Iraqi leadership expected mid-May

The United States administrator of Iraq Jay Garner has said the core of an interim Iraqi government should be in place by the middle of May.

Garner says he does not want to do all the work "By the middle of the month, you'll really see a beginning of a nucleus of an Iraqi government with an Iraqi face on it that is dealing with the coalition," the retired general said.

He said he expected up to nine Iraqis to form an interim leadership group that would be a point of contact for the Americans.

Mr Garner also said that the self-proclaimed mayor of Baghdad, Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi, who was arrested by US forces, had been released after two days.

He was accused of trying to sabotage coalition efforts to restore basic services to the war-torn capital.

I want TV going to the people ... with a soft demeanour, programmes they want to see

Jay Garner

Jay Garner profile The interim administration would consist of returned exiles and local Iraqis, representing Iraq's ethnic and religious spectrum.

Mr Garner cited as likely to take part in the group: Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ahmad Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress, Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Accord, and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, whose elder brother heads the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

A Christian and another Sunni would also be likely to join the leadership.

Public services pledge

Mr Garner was speaking on a visit to Iraq's southern city of Basra.

He said he expected the newly-appointed career diplomat Paul Bremer to arrive in Iraq next week to oversee the political process within the post-war US administration.

Zubaidi was accused of sabotaging US reconstruction efforts "He will get more involved in the political process. I'm doing all of it and don't want to do all of it."

Mr Garner said in May there would be a concentration on getting public services up and running again.

He also expressed disappointment that the Iraqi population were still unable to watch television.

"I want TV going to the people ... with a soft demeanour, programmes they want to see."

Mr Garner is to visit a school, a hospital and an oil refinery as well as hold talks with a sheikh in Basra on Monday.