Iraq takes a step towards democracy

IRAQ’S new governing council — a US sanctioned first step toward democratic government — put off selecting a president yesterday but voted to send a delegation to the UN Security Council.

In the streets of Baghdad, violence against US forces erupted again, with one soldier killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack.

At the close of its first full day of business, the council issued a statement that said the UN delegation would "assert and emphasise the role of the governing council as a legitimate Iraqi body during this transitional period".