A proposal to replace US forces in Iraq with soldiers from Muslim countries has stalled because of problems over the continued presence of American troops and obtaining a UN mandate, a top official said yesterday.
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia, whose country holds the chairmanship of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, told reporters that Muslim countries have not been agreeable to serving under the US-led coalition's command.
Syed Hamid's remarks, made at the official dedication of a US-supported Southeast Asian anti-terrorism center, were the most recent sign that a Saudi proposal that Muslim troops could take up positions in Iraq as coalition forces withdraw has not gained traction.
Syed Hamid said there was "nothing on the agenda" of the UN Security Council to mandate a peacekeeping force from Muslim nations under a UN command -- the only banner that would be politically acceptable.
"I don't think the US is interested in leaving," Syed Hamid said. "It is difficult if the US doesn't agree and it is not on the agenda of the Security Council."
Under the Saudi plan, the primary role of Muslim forces would be to protect UN officials, but they could be used to help guard the borders against armed infiltrators.
Syed Hamid refused to say if the proposal has been scrapped, but admitted that "it has not taken off the ground." Discussions were ongoing among Islamic countries, he said.
"If we are going to participate, my own view is that the idea of a replacement [force] may not be possible or practical," he said.
"If we want to participate, we may have to participate under the banner of the multinational force," he said.
The Bush administration is eager to enlist Muslim countries to relieve the burden on American troops, and provide an element of Muslim approval to the fight against insurgents in Iraq. But administration officials have noted that Muslim countries are resisting the plan.
Saudi officials had mentioned Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Malaysia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco and Yemen as countries that might join its proposed Muslim force to help stabilize Iraq. But none has really stepped forward.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said the presence of the US-led coalition "is fueling hatred and opposition from many factions in Iraq, and hence the continuing acts of violence."
There are some 138,000 US troops in Iraq and more than 900 Americans have been killed since military operations began in March last year.
Earlier, in dedicating the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism, Syed Hamid said that the "continued occupation in Palestine and Iraq would have deep implications and ramifications on international peace and security."
Syed Hamid said that Muslims continued to be discriminated against in the war on terror, which could lead to further violence.
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