The Bush administration will assume full control of Iraq with an US civilian heading a government if a US-led invasion topples Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the Washington Posthas reported.
Today's edition of the newspaper says the post-Saddam plan described by its sources calls for an interim civilian administrator to run the government and direct the reconstruction and distribution of humanitarian aid.
An American "of stature," such as a former state governor or ambassador, would be appointed to the post and would take over once the military had established security and destroyed weapons of mass destruction, officials were cited as saying.
Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of US forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan, would oversee the military administration of Iraq as long as US troops remained there.
Iraqi opposition leaders were told this week the United States would not recognise an Iraqi provisional government being discussed by some expatriate groups, the Postsaid.
Mr Ahmed Chalabi, head of the opposition Iraqi National Congress (INC), was told informed this week that any move to declare a provisional Iraqi government "would result in a formal break in the US-INC relationship," one official was quoted as saying.
Under the reconstruction plan, up to 25 Iraqis would assist US authorities in a US-appointed "consultative council," with no governing responsibility, the newspaper reported.