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Iraqis at Work Rend Rahim Francke, who will represent the Iraqi Governing Council in Washington, has her work cut out for her. by Claudia Winkler 12/03/2003 12:00:00 AM THERE'S NO GAINSAYING the quality of many of the people who are risking their lives to build the new Iraq. On that score, it was gratifying to learn that Rend Rahim Francke will represent the Iraqi Governing Council in Washington. A longtime supporter of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and one who pledges political allegiance only to the democratic center, Francke is discerning, judicious, determined, and brave.It's also true that she...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 22 — An Iraqi-American activist whose foundation has spent much of the last decade devising visions of democratic rule for Iraq and lobbying for a war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein, will become the country's diplomatic representative in Washington, Iraqi political leaders said Saturday. Her appointment will be announced in the next few days by the interim foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, they said. The activist, Rend Rahim Francke, 54, has directed the Iraq Foundation, which she helped create in 1991, and is a familiar face in Washington from her years lobbying policy makers to provide more muscular...

REBUILDING PLAN AGREED Free Iraqis have drawn up a 13-point plan to rebuild their country following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. The plan was agreed at US-hosted talks at Ur, the birthplace of the biblical prophet Abraham. The delegates also voted to meet again in 10 days' time. In a statement they said a future Iraqi government must be democratic, no leader must be imposed from outside, and the Baath party must be dissolved. As the meeting began, hundreds marched through the streets of nearby Nasiriyah protesting about US involvement in their country's future. They were concerned that the...

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's newly appointed ambassador to the United States, Rend Rahim Francke, criticized a string of US errors since the spring invasion but said she was confident they were being put right. "In Washington, there was a great deal of concentration on the conduct of war. Unfortunately it became clear that there was far less focus on the conduct of the post-war period," she told AFP Monday in a Baghdad interview. "There were a number of mistakes made and these are mistakes that Iraqis have spoken about and that the Americans themselves have acknowledged," said the former rights...