Britain is less hawkish over Iraq than the United States and believes war is not inevitable, Malaysia said today after talks with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

"We are very happy with the reassurance that while they are making preparations, war is not inevitable," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told a news conference.

"They just want to see some compliance with the (UN) resolutions (that Iraq must disarm).

"We see Britain is taking a more balanced view while the Americans take a very strong view, hawkish about the issue.

"Britain believes in a two-step process - that if there is a war there must be another resolution (first) in the UN Security Council," Syed Hamid said.

Message delivered

Straw was in Malaysia, which is due to take over the chairmanship of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) this year, on the last leg of a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia to drum up support for possible action against Iraq.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has made clear his opposition to any invasion of Iraq by the United States and allies such as Britain without the backing of the United Nations, and Syed Hamid said he had given Straw the same message.

The British foreign secretary was due to meet Mahathir later today, and was in turn expected to repeat the warning he gave in Indonesia Thursday: that Muslim nations have as much to fear from Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as the West has.

Straw's visit comes hard on the heels of that of US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton who was in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday as part of an Asian tour with a similar mission.

Bolton was told by Syed Hamid that Malaysia believed an invasion of Iraq would create instability, drain the focus from the war on international terrorism and hinder economic recovery.

While Malaysia wanted Iraq to comply with UN disarmament resolutions a war would not be popular among Muslim countries or developing nations, Syed Hamid warned.

In a sign of increasing diplomatic activity over Iraq ahead of a decision on whether or not to go to war, Malaysia found itself hosting Straw at the same time it as a government envoy from Baghdad.

Up to the people of Iraq

Iraqi Minister for Industry and Minerals Muyassar Rija Shalah led a delegation to a meeting of the Malaysia-Iraq Joint Commission, which Syed Hamid attended shortly before meeting Straw.

Syed Hamid has said Malaysia would "extend economic and trade activities with Iraq" despite it being described by US President George W Bush as part of an "axis of evil" with North Korea and Iran.

Malaysia has repeatedly expressed its opposition to enforced "regime change" in Baghdad, saying that Iraqis themselves should determine whether President Saddam Hussein remains in power.

Straw was given the same message in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated nation, when he visited Thursday after first calling in at Singapore.

In response, Straw said disarmament rather than regime change was the main objective in Iraq and war could be avoided if Saddam gave up his weapons of mass destruction.

During his lightning Southeast Asian trip, Straw is also sounding out opinions on the crisis over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, and the status of the international war on terrorism. AFP