WASHINGTON, April 20: The United States on Tuesday moved to prevent any further deterioration in the ranks of the occupying forces in Iraq with Secretary of State Colin Powell calling dozens of foreign leaders to urge their continued participation after Spain and Honduras said they would pull their troops out.

Mr Powell did not identify the leaders to whom he had spoken, but said he had begun to make the calls on Monday, a day after Spain announced it would withdraw its 1,432 soldiers from Iraq, prompting Honduras to follow suit. Honduras has 368 troops serving Iraq under Spanish command.

Although other nations in the once 34-member "coalition of the willing" in Iraq have pledged to keep their soldiers on the ground, there are fears that the Spanish and Honudran decisions could trigger an exodus.

In Bangkok, the Thai premier said his government was reconsidering its soldiers' presence, while Japanese officials warned further withdrawals could trigger a domino effect. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he would consider bringing home a contingent of about 450 personnel if attacks continued. -AFP