U.S. asks U.N., allies for help adding forces

Some countries wanted a U.N. resolution in place before sending troops to Iraq.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell is considering ways to bring more allies -- including Iraq war opponents France and Germany -- into the U.S.-dominated force securing Iraq. One option is a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Powell was going to New York today to continue discussions with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.
Among the foreign ministers contacted by Powell this week were Jack Straw of Britain, Dominique de Villepin of France, Joschka Fischer of Germany and Franco Frattini of Italy.
A new resolution was one possibility, and Powell discussed that prospect with Annan and the foreign ministers, said the senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Britain already has a substantial presence in Iraq. The United States had until now resisted enlisting France and Germany because of their efforts to delay the war.
The administration has in recent months solicited contributions from other countries and said that other nations' troops would gradually supplement U.S. troops. But foreign governments preferred having a U.N. resolution in place before sending in troops.
Tuesday, a truck bomb exploded at U.N. headquarters, killing the top U.N. representative and 19 other Iraqis and U.N. personnel. At least 131 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since President Bush declared an end to major conflict May 1. Bush says he is committed to ensuring Iraq's transition to democracy and bringing deposed dictator Saddam Hussein to justice.
Renewed discussions
The attack on U.N. headquarters renewed discussions about the possibility of sending a multinational force to help secure Iraq. The idea surfaced last month after France, Germany and India refused a U.S. request to provide troops for the U.S.-led force in Iraq unless there was a U.N. mandate.
The possibility of an expanded multinational force appeared unlikely to pick up any new proponents unless Washington agrees to cede some control of Iraq to the United Nations.
Annan said Wednesday an international force was "under discussion. But I do not see U.N. blue helmets going into Iraq at this stage." He also said he didn't foresee quick action on this contentious issue.
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said "one of the possibilities that is being seriously thought about is the possibility of another Security Council resolution ... but we don't have any specific proposal to put on the table at the moment." However, a council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was making the same proposal it made previously -- calling for more troops but without relinquishing any control over the military and security operation in Iraq.
At the State Department on Wednesday, spokesman Richard Boucher said soliciting other troops at this point was only a matter of speculation.
But he said, "We are in consultations with other governments about what's the best way to continue this support, facilitate the support of the international community."
Rumsfeld's comments
Earlier Wednesday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said there were no immediate plans to send additional U.S. troops to Iraq. The fledgling Iraqi security forces, he said, were the best bet for securing the country in the long term.
Rumsfeld said military commanders in Iraq told his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, that there was no need for more troops.
"At the moment, the conclusion of the responsible military officials is that the force levels are where they should be," Rumsfeld told reporters during a visit to Honduras. "The effort should be on developing additional Iraqi capability rather than additional coalition capability."
More than 140,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, performing hundreds of daily patrols as well as relief and reconstruction efforts. Their raids have turned up tons of military explosives and thousands of other weapons, captured 36 of the top 55 most wanted Iraqis and killed Saddam's sons, Odai and Qusai.
Other countries have sent more than 24,000 troops to Iraq. The American-led civilian administration in Iraq has 954 U.S. government, military and private contractor employees working to restore basic services such as electricity and water and to rebuild Iraq's economy.
A large part of that effort involves creating Iraqi institutions to replace those that Saddam used to keep himself in power. Coalition forces have hired and trained more than 32,000 Iraqis as police, border guards and security guards. More than 8,000 Iraqi police are on the job in Baghdad.
Plans call for 12,000 troops in the new Iraqi army to be trained by the end of the year, augmented by more than 3,500 members of a new Iraqi civil defense force.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.