US President George W. Bush's pledge to stick to his timetable to transfer power in Iraq and his aims for greater UN involvement in reconstruction won praise among leaders in the Asia-Pacific yesterday.
But despite the positive reaction, escalating violence and a string of kidnappings continued to erode commitments to the US-led coalition.
Longtime ally the Philippines announced it was considering a troop pullout from Iraq.
Bush told a White House news conference Tuesday night that a UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, was in Iraq to determine "soon" the exact form of government that will assume sovereignty on June 30.
He also said Iraq will hold elections for a national assembly by next January and that the assembly will draft a new permanent constitution to be presented to the Iraqi people in a national referendum to be held in October 2005.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said such measures demonstrated Bush's "continued commitment to the goal of a free, democratic and independent Iraq."
"They are all goals that the Australian government very strongly supports," Howard told reporters in Canberra just hours after Bush's comments.
Australia has 850 troops in and around Iraq.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she hoped the June 30 handover of sovereignty to Iraqis was a firm date "because I think it's very important that Iraqis come to control the direction of their country again."
"I think we should be very pleased that the intention is to proceed with the handover on 30 June," said Clark, whose government did not support the US-led invasion but has contributed 60 army engineers to help rebuild roads in Iraq.
Bush's suggestion during a question-and-answer session that he would seek a new UN resolution for the reconstruction of Iraq was welcomed in Japan.
"President Bush showed America's strong determination to continue (the) international community's efforts. He said he wants a new UN resolution," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda.
The show of support came as spiraling violence and a wave of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq wore away at already tepid support for participation in Iraqi reconstruction.
The abduction of three Japanese civilians last week has prompted protests in Japan calling for the withdrawal of that nation's soldiers, who are based in southern Iraq on a humanitarian mission.
The hostage-takers have threatened to burn their captives alive unless Tokyo agrees to pull out its troops, but Japan has so far refused to comply.
Australia yesterday warned its citizens in Iraq that if they were captured it would not give in to hostage-takers' demands.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said some 60 to 80 Australian civilians were in Iraq working for aid agencies and government organizations. None has been kidnapped.
Downer said the government would not pull its troops out of the war-shattered Middle Eastern country, even if Australians were taken hostage.
Pakistan, meanwhile, said it was considering a US request to send troops to Iraq to protect a UN mission.
"Unlike in the past, the request this time is quite specific and it is for the protection of a future UN mission which would be established in Iraq," Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said yesterday.
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