UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23: Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf has said that it would make him unpopular to deploy Pakistani troops in Iraq under present circumstances.

A UN mandate for troops in Iraq would make it easier but Gen Musharraf gave no commitment to help US forces in Iraq even if the United Nations approved a new resolution, he told ABC News in an interview late Monday.

President said the US-led invasion of Iraq had hurt the United States badly in the Muslim world, making it hard for Pakistan to support the United States.

“As far as Iraq is concerned, it’s difficult to come to a solution of contributing troops at the moment under the present environment,” he said.

“Under United Nations cover, the situation would be much easier,” he added.

Pakistan is one of four countries the United States has named as possible contributors of large numbers of troops — along with India, Turkey and Bangladesh — but analysts say it is the least likely to agree to deploy its forces.

Musharraf said he would talk about Iraq when he meets US President George W. Bush at the United Nations this week.

Musharraf said Osama could be either in Pakistan or Afghanistan or could move between the two.

What Pakistan needs most, he added, is US assistance with electronic intelligence to track down remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the inhospitable border regions.

ASIAN SOCIETY: President Musharraf said Pakistan has adopted a short and long term strategy to root out terrorism.