Iraq's US-backed governing council is unlikely to be represented at the Organisation of the Islamic Conferencesummit in Malaysia next month despite its acceptance by the Arab League, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said today.

"Iraq is essentially still a country under occupation," Syed Hamid told reporters.

"For the time being, our view is that Iraq's seat will be left vacant even though the country's nameplate will be there.

"If the United Nations was the core player in Iraq, then it would be a different situation," he said.

Central UN role

Syed Hamid added, however, that if a request to attend was made by Iraq's Governing Council, a decision would have to be taken by the OIC credentials committee.

The summit of the 57-nation organisation is due to be held in Malaysia from Oct 16-18.

The Arab League on Tuesday announced its acceptance of the Governing Council after having initially refused to deal with a government set up under a US-led military occupation.

"It is a major political achievement for the Governing Council," said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at the end of an Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo.

In their resolution on Iraq, the ministers of the 22-member League also called for a "central UN role" in the rebuilding of Iraqi national institutions and in the reconstruction of the war-devastated country.

Zebari was allowed into the meeting following a decision by the Arab ministers to temporarily offer to the Governing Council the seat of Iraq, vacant since the ouster of Saddam Hussein, in April.

The offer was made on the condition that the council, appointed in July by the US-led coalition, undertakes to speed up the formation of an elected government to seek the end of the occcupation of Iraq.

In the mainstream

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher welcomed the League's decision as a "growing acknowledgement" of Iraq's progress toward self-government.

Critics however have said the move would help the US prolong its occupation of Iraq.

The Malaysian government fiercely opposed the US-led war on Iraq and has called for a greater UN role in rebuilding the country.

"We would like to see the development of Iraq, we would like Iraq to be brought to the mainstream of Islamic countries but there are certain procedural things that have to be sorted out," Syed Hamid said. - AFP