The United States and Saudi Arabia discussed the possibility of deploying troops from Arab or Muslim nations in Iraq, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said on Wednesday.
"We had a preliminary discussion with the secretary on that," the foreign minister told reporters at a news conference with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
He gave no details on which countries might contribute and what conditions may be attached.
A deployment by Muslim nations would be a public relations coup for the United States, which has seen the US-led coalition in Iraq reduced by the withdrawal of the Philippines, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras.