Under fire, Bush seeks to UN-do Iraq damage

The US has had a hard time getting other nations to commit significant numbers of troops in Iraq. Some governments have said they would only contribute troops after a clear UN mandate.

Speaking during an appearance with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that US talks with other governments and UN officials are still preliminary. But there is mounting pressure on the administration from Congress to find ways to share the costs — and risks.

Gen. John Abizaid’s announcement of an extension of soldiers’ tours is likely to send shock waves through the ranks. He also acknowledged for the first time that US forces are facing a ‘‘classic guerrilla-type war situation’’ throughout the country — an assertion that contradicts statements by Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who has sought to play down the guerrilla threat.

Bush administration officials have sought to limit the influence of other countries in the Iraq reconstruction, fearing that shared power could interfere with their effort to build a free-market, democratic state at the centre of a new West Asia. But without the UN imprimatur, it has been difficult for some countries to build domestic support for the idea of contributing police and troops to the US-led rebuilding effort.

In his remarks, Powell said that ‘‘there are some nations who have expressed the desire for more of a mandate from the United Nations, and I am in conversations with some ministers about this.’’

Meanwhile, Russia has sought a special UN Security Council session to discuss the creation of a legitimate government in Iraq. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said in Damascus that though the new provisional ruling Council was ‘‘a step in the right direction’’ it should be followed by steps towards the creation of a legitimate government, reports Ria-Novosti.