Iraq is currently in a state of "decomposition" and must recover its sovereignty as soon as possible, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said in a radio interview.

"A logic of occupation must be rapidly replaced by a logic of sovereignty," the minister told the private RTL radio station, wondering aloud whether the current approach of the US-led coalition, which he said was "essentially security-oriented," had not failed.

"The recognition of Iraqi sovereignty would be a starting point," said de Villepin.

"Decomposing" Iraq must recover its sovereignty: French FM

The authority of Iraq's US-appointed interim Governing Council Iraqi Governing Council should therefore be strengthened and a provisional government be formed before elections to a constituent assembly "perhaps by the end of the year", he added.

The French minister described the current situation in Iraq as "a situation of decomposition, of discouragement for the Iraqi people and at the same time a logic of confrontation."

The statement came amid continuing controversy over the massive explosion which destroyed the United Nations' headquarters in Baghdad, killing at least 23 people, on Tuesday.

It also came as two US soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Iraq, one in Baghdad and the other near Hilla, south of the capital, the US army said Friday.

The first soldier died after being caught in a fire at 4:30 pm (1230 GMT) Thursday that broke out at a building on a shooting range in Baghdad's Karrada district, said spokesman Anthony Reinoso.

He died 20 minutes later from smoke inhalation, he said, adding that six others were wounded.

It was not clear if the fire was accidental or a case of arson, Reinoso said. Earlier, a spokesperson had called the death "a fatality," but gave no further details.

The second attack killed a soldier with the Marine Expeditionary Force near Hilla, 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad, said Sergeant Amy Abbott, without making clear when the assault took place or giving any details.

The attack on the soldier near Hilla brought to 64 the number of US soldiers killed in guerrilla-style attacks in Iraq since Washington declared major combat over on May 1.

The attacks cast a shadow over Thursday's announcement of the capture of Ali Hassan al-Majid, the notorious "Chemical Ali".

Majid was the most infamous of Saddam Hussein's close aides, earning his nickname for ordering a gas attack that killed some 5,000 Kurds in 1988.

Colonel Guy Shields, the coalition's top spokesman in Iraq, said Thursday after Majid's arrest: "He was one of the most high-value targets. It is important to get these people off the street."

The White House hailed the capture of Majid, ranked fifth on the US most-wanted list in Iraq.

His capture "is another important step in going after the remnants of the former regime, and it's further reassurance to the Iraqi people that we continue to hunt down those remnants of the former regime," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Majid's arrest raised to 39 the number of most-wanted former Iraqi officials killed or captured since US-led forces ousted Saddam in April and was announced just two days after the capture of former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan, 20th on the list of 55.

Authorities meanwhile determined that Tuesday's truck bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad was a suicide attack.

US troops and Iraqi police with heavy lifting machinery and cadaver-sniffing dogs were still sifting through the rubble on Thursday night, but hopes were dim that more survivors would be found.

Asked if there was any possibility casualties might remain alive, US Defense Department official David Roath said: "In this site, in the rubble, not very long."

The New York Times reported that US officials were focusing on the possibility that Iraqi security guards may have colluded with the bombers.

It said that the guards employed by the world body were former secret agents of Saddam who reported on UN activities before the war.

"We believe that the UN's security was seriously compromised," an official was quoted as saying in the report. "We have serious concerns about the placement of the vehicle."

An unknown group calling itself "Armed Vanguards of Mohammed's Second Army" claimed responsibility, vowing to attack coalition forces, foreigners and Iraqis and Arabs who collaborate with them, Al-Arabiya news channel reported late Thursday.

"We the Armed Vanguards of Mohammed's Second Army claim responsibility for the bombing of the UN building," said a statement sent to the Dubai-based satellite TV and made available to AFP.

The United States has blamed recent violence in Iraq, including almost daily attacks on US troops and the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, on a combination of remnants of Saddam's regime and "foreign terrorists".

Copyright 2003 AFP

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