The United Nations should play a leading role in Iraq and the deployment of more foreign troops in Iraq is not a good way to ensure security there, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said in Paris Thursday.

"For us, patching up a system on the basis of what exists now or adding foreign troops to the coalition forces does not seem to be the best way to ensure security in Iraq," de Villepin told radio France Inter.

Only a UN force backed by a new resolution that defines in detail the steps and measures of the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq could achieve real security in the war-torn country, he said.

"We should put the United Nations back to the center. Only the United Nations could bring the necessary guarantees that will invite all the international community to work together," said de Villepin.

He also called for modifications of the UN Security Council Resolution 1483, which laid down the conditions for the current American-British occupation of Iraq.

Within the modifications, the UN mandate must be clearly established and the UN tasks be fixed with a political perspective and transparency that will allow the international community to intervene more actively, he said.

He insisted that only an international peacekeeping force with UN mandate could ensure Iraq's security.

The French minister made these remarks as the United States has been calling voluntary countries to send more troops into Iraq to help the American and British troops who were under continuing attacks.

On the killing by US troops of Uday and Qusay, deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's two sons, de Villepin said it would not ease the attacks against the occupation troops in Iraq.

"We can imagine that one part of the Baath Party (Iraq's former ruling party controlled by Saddam) is going to mobilize to avenge Saddam's two sons and the resistance to the coalition forces could intensify," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2003)