Department of Foreign Affairs officials have played down suggestions that the Army may serve in Iraq as part of a United Nations-mandated force.
A spokesman for the Department yesterday said it had not received any approach from the UN and that discussions at the UN's Security Council over a multinational force for Iraq were at a very early stage.
In a bid to win broader international support for US policies in Iraq, President Bush has decided to seek UN approval for a resolution granting greater control to the world body over peacekeeping forces and a role in forming a new Iraqi government.
The decision is a major shift in US policy after months in which the administration strongly resisted granting any significant military or political authority to the UN. India, Turkey,
Pakistan and Bangladesh have indicated they might contribute troops to a multinational force, but only if it is authorised by a new UN resolution.
A spokesman said the Government has consistently argued that the UN should be central to the reconstruction of Iraq but that the issue was ultimately one for the Security Council to decide.
There has been no official response to President Bush's policy shift, however, the matter is expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Riva del Garda in Italy this weekend.
The wording of the new resolution is expected to be circulated at UN level as early as next week, but it is far from clear whether France and Germany, which led the opposition to a Security Council resolution, will agree to the move.
It remains unclear how much authority the US administration is willing to cede to the UN.
The Pentagon insists that US generals remain in command of the nearly 150,000 US troops in Iraq.
Observers say President Bush's move reflects a recognition within the administration that a stronger UN mandate is essential to winning greater foreign military and economic help in restructuring Iraq.
