At the same time, Prime Minister John Howard announced Australia will have a role in the reconstruction, with six officials on the Kuwait-based agency set up by the US military to rebuild the shattered country.

The Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA), under retired US Army General Jay Garner, who will head the interim administration, is ready to move in when Saddam Hussein's regime falls.

Australia, key US ally and third force on the coalition fighting to oust Saddam Hussein, is confident it will also have a small but important role in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq, with responsibility probably in areas such as agriculture.

Defence Minister Robert Hill meantime lashed out at what he said was the UN Security Council's failure to deal with Iraq.

He said the Security Council's five permanent members, France, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, would have to rethink their attitudes because deep divisions between them had led to the war.

"The Security Council has failed the world community badly in this instance," Hill told reporters in Brisbane.

The Council had passed resolutions for 12 years, but was not prepared to enforce them, he said, adding: "That sends a very unhelpful message to dictators who develop weapons of mass destruction and are prepared to use them on their own people and on their neighbours."

As wrangling continues at the UN and between the US and key ally Britain over the role the UN should play in running post-war Iraq, Hill said he did not believe the UN was up to the task anyway.

"The UN after all is only the collective attitude of its member states and we believe that they are not ready to take up the challenge," he said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said post-war Iraq would initially be administrated by the coalition, the United States in particular, but an Iraqi interim administration would be established as quickly as possible.

"They (the US) are not handing over the whole of the administration of Iraq to the UN, and nor does the UN want the whole of Iraq to be handed over," Downer told reporters.

Howard told a media forum in Brisbane five Australian officials, all experts in their areas, were already working with ORHA in Kuwait and a sixth would arrive by the weekend.

The team includes a foreign affairs officer who will work "very closely with General Garner," Howard said.

An officer from Australia's overseas aid agency AusAID would assist with humanitarian relief and a defence expert would work in contingency planning for the post-conflict phase.

An agricultural expert would prepare the way for a larger Australian advisory team in Iraq's agricultural sector, a Treasury macroeconomist will help re-establish a viable Iraqi economy and a petroleum expert would help redevelop its petroleum industry.

Howard said Canberra's contribution would balance the needs of Iraq with the Australia's interests. It would also have a proper regard to Australia's commitment to the humanitarian need of the Iraqi people.

SPACE.WIRE