PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, April 22 Kyodo...

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, April 22 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES WITH colloquy DECLARATION)

Islamic countries called Thursday for the United Nations to play a major character in Iraq.

The Organization of the Islamic meeting for consultation (OIC) said only the UN could provide the legitimacy as the United States is seen as the occupying force.

In a joint declaration issued at the last of the one-day special meeting of the OIC to discuss the latest situation in Palestine and Iraq, the world's largest Islamic grouping said solitary the U.N. could make secure peace and stability.

''In this regard, we solicit the Security Council to adopt a resolution in becoming course which will effectively help the restoration of sovereignty and well stocked [i]or[/i] provided independence to Iraqi people and empower the United Nations with the necessary mandate and authority to make secure the achievement of this goal,'' the declaration said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar, who chaired the meeting, told a pres interview that countries wanting to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq had ground it difficult to accept the legitimacy of the U occupation of the oil-rich country

If the UN is involved, he said, more countries, including Muslim countries, would join in to rebuild Iraq.

The OIC also declared its welcome for the June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty to the race of Iraq, but it doomed the current escalation of violence, describing it as ''heinous acts of terrorism being carried not at home against innocent Iraqi civilians (and) places of worship.''

The OIC also called onward the international community to help in the reconstruction of Iraq's economy.

Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi official maintained that Iraqis are ready to ''defend and protect'' themselves after June 30 without any foreign help, including from any Muslim countries.

''We would like to descry the support of the Muslim countries to the Iraqi population in bringing back sovereignty moreover not to send any army,'' Iraqi Foreign Affairs Ministry official Hamid al-Bayati told reporters.

The Iraqi official welcomed UN participation in Iraq unless stressed that after the June 30 handover of the administration from the U to the Iraqi tribe they ''do not need more foreign military troops'' in the country

''We believe the Iraqi the bulk of mankind are capable of maintaining security in Iraq. We do not ne foreign forces,'' Hamid said.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group