ISLAMABAD, JUNE 25: Pakistan has reportedly failed to get an encouraging response to its proposal for an Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) umbrella for a multi-nation stabilization force in Iraq.

These sources said Pakistan floated the idea, also backed by the US, at the 30th meeting of the foreign ministers of the 57- nation OIC in Tehran last month.

Malaysia and Turkey were said to have supported the proposal, but Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and other neighbouring countries of Iraq had serious reservations. The latter argued that endorsing the principle of working with foreign occupation forces would set a wrong precedent.

They also pointed out that any one of them could be the next US target. Reference was made to the US threats being directed at other Muslim countries like Iran and Syria.

Another argument against the proposal for an OIC cover was that US troops are still seen as an occupation army, confronting Iraqi resistance.

Those supportive of the idea were believed to have said Muslim countries could not just sit on the fence and do nothing about it.

“Their contention was that the Muslim countries could not be seen as being isolated from the question of Iraq,” said one Islamabad-based diplomat from an OIC member-state.

This proposal is likely to be taken up again at the OIC summit in Kuala Lumpur in October.

Meanwhile, Pakistan authorities have told US officials that it would be difficult for Pakistan to send troops to Iraq without some kind of an international cover. Pakistan has also said that it would prefer a UN or OIC umbrella for such a force.

The United States has been finding it hard to replace some of its occupation troops in Iraq with an international stabilization force. Currently there are about 146,000 American troops in Iraq costing the US government $3 billion a month.

A Pentagon official last week claimed that up to 30,000 troops from more than a dozen countries would begin arriving in Iraq to partially relieve US and British soldiers.