THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL is in trouble, or so it seems as Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority chief L. Paul Bremer abruptly canceled his meetings in Iraq November 11 and headed home for a hastily arranged powwow with Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, et al, to try to put their “democratization” effort back together again. Newspaper reports indicate that U.S. authorities in Baghdad are unhappy with the lack of progress made by the 24-member, American-appointed Iraqi governing council. The core task of the council–a group largely comprised of high-profile exiles–was to set in motion a constitutional process that would form the basis of a democratically elected Iraqi government. The administration imposed a December 15 deadline for the council to come up with a firm plan–a deadline they seem unlikely to meet.

So U.S. authorities appear to be reaching the end of their rope with the council. Its members are reportedly complaining that they have not been given powers to actually govern Iraq and that they could stem the increasingly deadly tide of attacks against U.S. forces if given more influence over security decisions.