"It's not about the UN running post-war Iraq, it's about the Iraqi people running post-war Iraq," he said ahead of talks between NATO and EU foreign ministers with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

"We're advocating that the country should be handed over to the Iraqi people," he said.

He recalled that a summit of British, US and Spanish leaders in the Azores just before the outbreak of war had agreed "that of course there should be United Nations involvement."

At the Brussels talks ministers were "now considering what appropriate role the United Nations will have," he said.

The question of UN involvement in post-war Iraq is fueling continuing transatlantic tension.

The EU wants the UN to take a "central" role, while the US administration appears divided on the issue, with hawks saying the United States should remain for a while in charge in Iraq.

SPACE.WIRE