The proposed deployment of Muslim peacekeeping troops in Iraq under the United Nations' banner might not be possible, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said today.

Malaysia heads the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which is considering a Saudi Arabian proposal for an Arab or Muslim force to replace the US-led troops in Iraq.

Syed Hamid told a news conference that OIC countries did not want to participate under US leadership and there was no indication that Washington was prepared to withdraw in favour of a UN force.

"I don't think the US is interested to leave. From the beginning, I was of the view that the idea looks good but how do we go about implementing it? There are so many complex and technical issues that need to be resolved.

"My own view is that the idea of (troop) replacement may not be practical or possible ," Syed Hamid said.

"Generally, the OIC countries feel that if they participate, they do not want to participate under the multinational force. They want it to be under the blue berets, which is the UN peacekeeping force."

No UN mandate

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said earlier this month that Malaysia was "considering very deeply" the Saudi proposal and was open to deploying peacekeeping troops in Iraq, but only if the security situation stabilised.

Syed Hamid pointed out that the idea of a UN force was not even on the table for discussion at the Security Council, which would have to give it a mandate.

"We have been reading some indications that the Americans will never agree (to pull out). It will be difficult if the US don't agree and it is not on the agenda of the Security Council," he said.

The idea of an OIC force was "under discussion in the region and among Muslim countries but it has not picked up. There is no concrete decision."

Syed Hamid acknowledged also that it would not be easy for the OIC nations to replace the 130,000 or so troops in the US-led multinational force.

"Ultimately for OIC countries to be involved, it must be at the call of the Iraqi people and not anyone else. The core element of security, safety and the creation of a peaceful environment should be on the Iraqis themselves," he said.

Strategy meet

With the US-led force facing continued violent opposition in Iraq, military officials from around 30 countries with troops serving in the coalition will meet in the Polish capital Warsaw next Wednesday to discuss strategy.

"The situation in Iraq is new, with a government and a provisional parliament. It is a question of examining not only the role of the future contingent, but also an eventual change of tactics," Polish foreign ministry spokesman Jaroslaw Drozd said Thursday.

Poland, a US ally, heads a multinational force of 6,500 administering a swathe of Iraq south of Baghdad to which it has sent 2,500 of its own troops.

Warsaw has already said it wants next year to reduce the number of troops it has in Iraq. The defense ministry said the upcoming meeting would be an occasion to discuss the reduction in detail.