Baghdad, Iraq ? U.N. Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi on Wednesday sharply criticized U.S. military tactics in Iraq but said it was still possible for an interim Iraqi government to be formed by June 30, when the U.S. plans to return sovereignty to the strife-torn nation.

Brahimi, commenting as he concluded an 11-day visit to Iraq, said he would take a series of recommendations back to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, including a proposal for forming an interim government and terminating the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council at the end of June.

The interim government, he said, would be made up of a prime minister who would lead the Cabinet and a president and two vice presidents. It is widely assumed the president would be a Shiite Muslim, since Shiites comprise the majority population of Iraq. The vice presidents would likely be a Sunni Muslim and a Kurd.

However, Brahimi added, “considerable” improvement in security would be necessary for national elections to be held as scheduled in January 2005.

Brahimi’s visit came during the most violent period since the major combat phase of the war was declared over by President Bush last May. Bush, during a rare news conference Tuesday, insisted that plans for the June 30 sovereignty hand-over remained in place even though it is not yet clear how — and to whom — the transition would occur. “We’ll find that out soon,” Bush said. “That’s what Mr. Brahimi is doing.”

Brahimi’s comments on the transition were well received Wednesday by U.S. officials including L. Paul Bremer III, the U.S. civilian administrator for Iraq, although the plan could still face opposition from members of the Governing Council, who would find themselves without senior positions in the new order.

Bremer did not comment on Brahimi’s criticisms of U.S. military policies.

Brahimi took issue with U.S. military assaults on the Sunni Triangle town of Fallujah and the U.S. practice of unlimited detention of Iraqis suspected of engaging in hostile activities.

“I would like to renew here the expression of my deep sorrow for the loss of life and the destruction that has befallen Fallujah, parts of Baghdad and other places up and down the country,” Brahimi told a news conference in Baghdad.

“The collective punishments are not acceptable — cannot be acceptable and to cordon off and besiege a city is not acceptable,” he said. “There is no military solution to the problems and … the use of force, especially of excessive use of force, makes matters worse.”

Whether Brahimi’s criticisms will have an impact here was far from clear. Both U.S. and insurgent forces have deeply entrenched positions, but neither may want to alienate the United Nations, an organization that both sides might find advantageous to work with to resolve the current crisis in Fallujah and a threatened action by U.S. troops in Najaf against anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The cleric has taken refuge in the Shiite holy city, where he is closely guarded by militiamen.