Key Muslim states reject US plea for help in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031013/wl_mideast_afp/oic_summit&cid=1514&ncid=1473

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) - Key Muslim nations ruled out sending troops to help the United States in Iran without a UN mandate, leaving Turkey isolated at the world's biggest gathering of Islamic states.

Washington has asked Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey to deploy soldiers to ease the burden on US forces confronting mounting opposition in Iraq, but only Turkey has agreed.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri told AFP his country did "not want to be perceived as an extension of the occupation force."

Kasuri, who is attending a meeting of foreign ministers preparing for a summit Thursday of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said Pakistan would only despatch troops under a United Nations banner and if other Muslim nations agreed to participate.

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[sistersofmercy]

1. But, but...

aren't the Turkish troops supposed to be in the western part of Iraq?

[hang a left]

2. nah..nah..nah..nah....nah

[Spazito]

3. I have been noticing something interesting in the recent articles...

and that is the media is no longer saying "the coalition" and are saying the US now. This is an important change, imo.