Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia was ready to mobilise an international Muslim force to rehabilitate war-torn Iraq.

"We are prepared to rally support among Muslim countries for OIC participation in rebuilding Iraq and strengthening its institutions of governance and its economic system," Abdullah said late yesterday after talks with US President George W Bush in the White House Oval Office.

Abdullah, chairman of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said the world would risk another failure in nation building if Iraq was left in the cold at this juncture, rendering the region politically unstable and economically stagnant.

"We should no longer stand on the sidelines and merely watch Iraq struggle to find its feet after years of dictatorship and a recent invasion," he said at a dinner in Washington hosted by the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Business Council.

Medical team

Malaysia, on its part, was ready to send a "sizeable" medical team to Iraq and participate in the reconstruction of Iraq, Abdullah said.

He warned that if the reconstruction of Iraq failed, the entire Muslim world would blame the US-led invasion for setting off a chain of events that led to sustained misery for ordinary Iraqis and a clash between the West and the Muslim world.

Abdullah pointed out that the Muslim world still needed some demonstration of good faith from the United States in addressing the root causes of terrorism, in particular the unresolved question of Palestine.

He said he suggested and Bush agreed that a "capacity-building" program be undertaken in poor Muslim countries as part of efforts to demonstrate such good faith.

Bush said: "We talked about Iraq, and I told him I was pleased with the progress being made in Iraq, and the prime minister had some helpful suggestions.

"So, all in all, it's been a very constructive meeting."

Abdullah, who also heads the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of developing states, called for bridging "the great divide" between the Muslim world and the West, saying efforts should go beyond "elite diplomacy."

Strong ties

He declared that bilateral ties between Malaysia and the United States were "very strong" despite Kuala Lumpur's opposition to the war in Iraq.

"You cannot judge our bilateral relations simply on the basis of what you hear, that we may have some differences on Iraq or on Palestine," he said. "The foundation of the bilateral relations has remained strong all the time."

This is the first visit to the United States by Abdullah, who took over last October from retiring premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a vociferous critic of Bush's foreign policies.

While the substance of Malaysia's views may not have changed significantly, the mode of delivery has, with Abdullah replacing Mahathir's strident tones with low-key diplomacy.

The United States is the first of a three-nation visit by Abdullah covering also France and Britain.

With the Palestinian Authority in turmoil, Bush assured his guest that he was "fully committed to the development of a Palestinian state that can live side by side with Israel in peace."

Abdullah said it was vital for Iraqis to restore stability so that they would have the opportunity to elect a government of their choice.

"One obviously knows that under conditions of trouble, no elections can be held," he said of Iraq's first planned democratic polls in January.

Abdullah leaves Washington today for a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday.