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U.S. calls for U.N. force to protect workers

UNITED NATIONS - U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte urged all countries Friday to contribute troops to a new force to protect U.N. staff in Iraq, a key element in Washington's campaign for a major U.N. presence after the United States relinquishes power on June 30.

Negroponte - widely believed to be President Bush's choice to replace L. Paul Bremer as the top American envoy in Iraq after the handover - said he envisions the world body playing a key role in the political transition and organizing elections by Jan. 31.

But Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday ruled out sending a large U.N. team to Iraq "for the foreseeable future" because of increased violence and kidnappings.

At least one country approached by the United States to contribute troops said it was too early to decide.

"The U.N. first has to decide to go before we consider it," said Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram.

Also Friday, Portugal's interior minister, Antonio Figueiredo Lopes, said the country will consider pulling its 128 peacekeeping police officers out of Iraq if the fighting there worsens.