The UN fears that Iraq will become ungovernable if Saddam Hussein is deposed by military force because the US will fail to make a long-term commitment to the country.
As US President George W. Bush called on the UN to "show some backbone" over Iraq, senior UN figures contacted by The Observer newspaper said that there was no "Afghanistan solution" to the problems of the country because it was not clear who would take over the leadership if the dictator is removed.
Revealing a significant stumbling block as the UN continued to inch toward signing new resolutions, officials said the country could be destroyed by political in-fighting, putting the whole Middle East at risk.
"The Americans haven't done enough in Afghanistan and if that is the model of how they are going about Iraq then there are serious concerns," one well-placed official said.
"Every aspect of the experience in Afghanistan suggests that the Americans show very little or no interest in this. There's this view that you go in, execute the bad guys, and leave the place even if it is in a mess. I am not at all convinced the Americans have worked this out."
Coalition forces that attacked Afghanistan made it clear that any post-Taliban government would coalesce around Hamid Karzai and representatives of the various ethnic groups which make up the country. British Prime Minister Tony Blair also said that there would be a long-term commitment to rebuilding the failed state.
The UN is increasingly concerned that no such plan exists for Iraq.
In his weekly radio address, Bush reiterated his appeal for tough action against Saddam. He challenged the US Congress and the UN to take a forceful stand, saying the "lives of millions and the peace of the world" may be at stake.
"Make no mistake about it. If we have to deal with the problem, we'll deal with it," he said.
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