But if such cooperation was not forthcoming, he warned, "we will find other solutions."

Straw, speaking in Kuwait on the second leg of a tour of Gulf states, did not specify what form those other options might take.

He said that Britain was working closely with the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance and named a logistics expert, Major General Tim Cross, as the British representative to the body.

Straw, Cross and the ORHA's chief, former US general Jay Garner, were to hold discussions later Monday before Straw was to fly on to Qatar.

The British minister arrived from Bahrain and Tuesday was to go on to Saudi Arabia on a tour aimed at laying the groundwork for the interim administration of post-war Iraq, which Washington has insisted will be under US control.

Straw said that US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair expect "constructive cooperation from the permanent members of the Security Council, not obstruction."

Such international legitimacy would ease the handling of several tricky issues concerning post-war Iraq, notably in terms of oil sales and contracts, he said.

"On the other hand, if we find that such cooperation from the United Nations' permanent five is not forthcoming, then we would have to find other solutions.

"And let me make this clear: we will find other solutions," Straw said.

SPACE.WIRE