"We are not looking for a job, we are not begging for a role in Iraq, but if the Iraqis want it, whatever capabilities we have, are at their disposal," Brahimi told reporters at U.N. World Headquarters in New York.

Asked about published reports indicating the Iraqis no longer welcomed the return of the world organization, Brahimi said, "We've received, a few days ago, a message from the Ayatollah (Ali al-Sistani, a top Shiite Muslim cleric) directly to the secretary-general saying that they have absolutely nothing to do with these articles, ... saying that as he told me when we met he wants the United Nations to continue to play a role in Iraq."

The veteran U.N. trouble-shooter met with the cleric in Iraq last month.

"The impression we have is that a lot of Iraqis do want the United Nations back," said Brahimi, a former foreign minister of Algeria, adding, "We are now waiting for the Coalition Provisional Authority and the (Iraqi) Governing Council to tell us if the United Nations is required to play a role and we will take it from there."

Brahimi said that if required, the United Nations was willing to help with either forming an interim government, preparing for elections or both.

He reminded reporters the secretary-general had received a letter from the Governing Council in December asking the United Nations to help see if elections could take place in Iraq before June and, if not, what the alternative was to the elected government.

Brahimi also pointed out that the Governing Council and the CPA met with Annan Jan. 19 at U.N. headquarters.

Both parties asked the United Nations to help find an answer to those two questions, Brahimi pointed out. The secretary-general sent a team to Iraq to try and see how the United Nations could help, and then sent a report on the visit to the Security Council, the CPA and the Governing Council.

An answer had been provided to the first question during that visit, namely that an Iraqi consensus had emerged that elections that would be credible, acceptable and help move Iraq forward towards security, independence, unity and sovereignty could not be held before June, Brahimi said.

He had the very strong impression that most Iraqis with whom he had spoken in Iraq had agreed with that finding. The second question remained unanswered, but the consensus among the Iraqis on the first question had given them more time to debate among themselves about how they were going to form the administration, which was to receive sovereignty July 1, after the CPA relinquished authority, as now scheduled.

Brahimi said Annan had also indicated that, if the Iraqis wanted the United Nations to continue to help with how to find, again, a consensus among Iraqis leading to the formation of a government or administration before June 30, the United Nations was willing to do so.

The special adviser said Tuesday that U.N. readiness was there. If required, it was willing to help with either or both of those tasks that needed to be performed in Iraq.

Asked why there was delay in defining a possible role for the United Nations and whether time was running out, he said there had been very serious discussions on other issues, which had held up a decision by the Governing Council on that question.

To a question about what might be acceptable to the broadest segment of the Iraqi population, he replied, "I don't know."

Asked what would it take for him to return to Iraq, Brahimi said he thought the United Nations needed a formal reply to the report the secretary-general had forwarded on the first phase of U.N. involvement. He thought that would be forthcoming sometime soon.

"We are very relaxed and waiting for them to come back to us in their own time. We will work on any answer they come up with," he said.

Brahimi was asked about whether elections by the end of the year could happen only if preparations began now. He said he had heard in Iraq eight months would be needed after the legal framework was finalized. The earlier work began on a legal framework, the better.

When reminded the CPA would cease to exist in a little over three months and asked what needed to happen between now and then to facilitate something taking its place, Brahimi said questions remained.

Some of those questions, he said, were: What did it mean that the CPA would cease to exist? What kind of government would be formed to take over on July 1? And, what would be the relationship between the CPA and the administration?

The special adviser said he did not have any answers.

The CPA, the Governing Council and everybody else had recognized that the administration to be created needed to be the result of wide consultations in Iraq, Brahimi said. The Governing Council was the official body for the moment, but the next phase needed wider consultation and that phase would be for a very limited period until the elections.

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