A second Security Council Resolution for a broader United Nations mandate in Iraq, including a peacekeeping role for the world body, is unlikely any time soon despite Secretary General Kofi Annan's assertion that many states want such a measure.

Diplomatic sources said that informal discussions on the issue of a possible second Council Resolution were on this week at the UN, but they added that there are governments that do not want to precipitate such a resolution.

"Even the Americans do not seem to have made up their mind whether they want to initiate a second resolution in the Council or not, although Secretary of State Powell indicated such a possibility," sources told rediff.com.

During a meeting in Washington with Annan on July 16, Powell said the possibility of such a resolution was under discussion. But last week, Powell said in a statement that at this moment the United States feels that Resolution 1483 is an adequate mandate and that Washington is satisfied with the endorsement it has received over the resolution.

While admitting that many countries feel that internationalisation of overall operations in Iraq under a United Nations umbrella is important, Annan himself said during a press conference this week that a new resolution was not imminent.

He said that many nations would be prepared to consider expansion of the UN role in the security area.

"If there were a United Nations mandated force and there was an international effort to pacify Iraq, they would all free more comfortable contributing to it," Annan told journalists.

The talk about a second Security Council resolution started last month after India as well as France and Germany declined to contribute troops to a US-led force in Iraq pending a mandate from the world body.

The Resolution 1483 passed by the Council in May this year provided for lifting of trade and financial sanctions on Iraq, extending the 'oil-for-food' programme for six months and it supported the formation of an interim Iraqi administration by the Iraqis until an internationally recognised and representative government could be set up in Baghdad. But the resolution did not envisage any role for UN Peacekeeping.

The sources said that the reasons why a second Council Resolution was unlikely to come through soon were many.

"First of all, the moment they (US) go to the Council for a second resolution they would have to do some give-and-take, something they might not like to do weighing the pros and cons," they said. "Also, when they go to the Council for a second resolution, the first resolution, which is perceived as strong, will have to be diluted to some extent," they added.

"The major question here is whether it is worthwhile to dilute that or not," a source said.

Indian diplomats said that as far as India is concerned, New Delhi has made it clear that it will consider participation in the multilateral peacekeeping efforts if there is an explicit UN authorisation. "We said we will consider participating and not that we will participate," one Indian diplomat said.

Sources also pointed out that even if the proposal for a second resolution goes to the Council, it does not mean it would be passed. "There is not guarantee that all the countries will support such a resolution; therefore, the question is whether it is worthwhile take all the trouble for a second resolution," one source said.

Sources also said that many diplomats felt that such a resolution was not likely to come before the Council for voting at least before late next month or in October. "One needs to take care of a lot of things before the measure can come up (before the Council)," they added.