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Malaysia on Thursday laid down conditions for the deployment of a proposed Muslim peacekeeping force to Iraq, saying they must be accepted by all Iraqi people and operate separately from the US-led multinational force.
Malaysia heads the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), which is considering a Saudi Arabian proposal for an Arab or Muslim force to replace the US-led troops in Iraq under the auspices of the United Nations.
"We must first ascertain if the troops from the OIC countries will be accepted by the people of Iraq," Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters.
"It's not necessarily enough for the interim government to invite us but there must be a mechanism for us to determine that Iraqis representing all groups would like to see OIC troops in Iraq," he said.
"They must also ensure that we are not seen alongside US-led multinational forces because the coalition force is seen as an occupying force and they are the target of continuous attacks by certain groups in Iraq, therefore the US position and plans in Iraq must be made known first."
Asked if this meant that OIC would only send troops if the US-led force withdrew, Najib dodged the question, reiterating that operating alongside the multinational force would be dangerous because they were "targets for attacks by elements within Iraq, including suicide bombers."
Najib said OIC troops could operate as part of a United Nations force but this required a Security Council resolution and funds from the world body.
Any decision by the OIC "must not be seen as due to pressure from other parties," he said, adding that there was no target date but "diplomatic channels are very active now."
Asked why Malaysia backtracked from its earlier stance that it would only participate in the reconstruction of Iraq if the UN takes on a central role, Najib said it was a constructive move to ensure that the "cycle of violence can be put to an end once and for all."
"The Iraqi people have suffered for so long and continue to suffer. It is about time the OIC plays its part to ensure the people of Iraq are not embroiled in this kind of conflict," he added.
Malaysia was a strong opponent of the US-led invasion of Iraq and has called on the United Nations to play a key role in the transition and reconstruction of the country.
Reports earlier said Malaysia, along with the north African states of Tunisia and Morocco along with Pakistan, have offered to send troops to protect the United Nations should it return to Iraq.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004

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