KUALA LUMPUR, April 21: The world's Islamic nations will try to rally international support against United States policies in the Middle East and Iraq at an emergency meeting here on Thursday , Malaysia's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

The meeting of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will press Washington to drop its backing for Israel's latest strategy on the Palestinian territories and for a bigger United Nations role in Iraq, perhaps including peacekeeping troops from Muslim countries, Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

The special conference of the world's biggest grouping of Muslim nations was called after US President George W. Bush last week endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to keep some Arab land captured in the 1967 war.

The OIC would call for Israel to stick to the international roadmap for peace and for the early establishment of a Palestinian state, Syed Hamid said. "We want the international community to play a stronger and more meaningful role, to support the roadmap and to change the US attitude which openly supports Israel," he said in a television interview.

Asked whether Malaysia, which has taken part in previous UN peacekeeping efforts, would be willing to send troops to Iraq, Syed Hamid said: "We'll look at it when the time comes. Once the UN has decided, then the government will look at it."

The special ministerial conference is expected to draw representatives from some 10 member states holding special positions in the OIC, including Palestine Liberation Organization political chief Farouk Kaddoumi. -AFP