PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -
said Musa Braiza, a Jordanian representative to the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The countries will do anything possible and everything positive. But the question of forces is now not on the agenda.
At the outset of the weeklong meetings Saturday, senior officials from the 57 members of the OIC urged the eviction of U.S. troops from Iraq. But the Iraqi delegation said that was not likely for the near future.
Ayad Alawi, head of the Iraqi Governing Council's rotating leadership, arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and said the council expected Islamic countries to stand firmly behind it during this difficult period.
The council desires full Iraqi sovereignty as soon as possible Alawi told the Malaysian news agency, Bernama. But, he said, that will not happen without a firm and positive attitude from the international community.
We would like the Islamic countries to assist us to move forward and for Iraq to have democracy and stability Alawi said.
Hoshyar Zebari, another council representative at the meeting, was pessimistic that Muslim nations would join the peacekeeping force desperately sought by the United States to relieve the burden on the 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.
I don't think there is any desire by the Muslim countries to send troops
Zebari said.
So far, the only Muslim nation that has agreed to send a major deployment to Iraq is Turkey. The Iraqi council fiercely opposes any Turkish peacekeepers.
At the Malaysia summit, Turkey's foreign minister urged the OIC to set up its own peacekeeping force for Iraq.
We have to take up the issue
take the initiative
and act jointly
Abdullah Gul told Turkish reporters at the gathering, according to the Anatolia news agency.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri said Pakistan was considering an all-Muslim peacekeeping force comprising troops from OIC countries.
He said he doubted the OIC would reach consensus on such a plan because it represents the whole gamut of the Muslim world. He said Pakistan would not agree to join the peacekeeping effort with U.N. authority first.
We will wait for a United Nations resolution which could reflect international consensus
Kasuri said. Even then
we would need other Muslim countries to go along with us
because we want the people of Iraq to perceive us not as an extension of the occupation
but as people who have come to help.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who chaired the discussions, said any Muslim contributions to a peacekeeping force would come on a country-by-country basis.
The OIC is not an organization that is a military bloc
