"I think the important thing is that there is an end date, which is better than an open-ended situation," said Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.
He was referring to the deadline of December 15 proposed in the resolution for the Iraqis to set a schedule for writing a constitution and holding elections.
"What is most important I think is that they should bring the United Nations in to play a central role.
Otherwise there will still be a lot of problems in Iraq," Syed Hamid said.
The head of Jordan's delegation of senior officials, Musa Braizat, told reporters: "If this is a serious and genuine move and if implemented in good faith, and if conditions are conducive to the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, it will be good for the Iraqi people and the region and for the Muslim world".
The US, under pressure to compromise over its plans for Iraq, circulated the new draft resolution yesterday.
But it was unclear if the change - in effect, a deadline to come up with another deadline later - would be enough to mollify fellow UN Security Council members that want the US to hand over power in Iraq more quickly.
The draft would give the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council until December 15 to come up with the timetable, rather than set a firm date for ending the US occupation of Iraq.
The new version keeps the same political sequence - writing a constitution first, elections later, sovereignty last - that has been criticised by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and several key Security Council nations.
Diplomats said it was also unclear if the political role offered to the United Nations had been sufficiently expanded to meet the demands of those who want the world body to have a central position in post-war Iraq.
"The United Nations should be there to supervise, to undertake the whole excercise," said Syed Hamid, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting preparing for a summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) here Thursday.
At the opening session of the meeting yesterday, speakers pressed the US to commit itself to a specific timetable for the withdrawal of its forces and a handover to the United Nations ahead of independence.
Adding to the pressure on Washington, key Muslim nations also ruled out sending troops to help the US in Iraq without a UN mandate.
Washington has asked Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey to deploy soldiers to ease the burden on US forces confronting mounting opposition in Iraq, but only Turkey has agreed.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri said his country did "not want to be perceived as an extension of the occupation force".
Bangladesh, a regular contributor of peacekeeping troops around the world, echoed Pakistan's position, with Foreign Minister Morshed Khan telling reporters here that his country would only send troops "if the UN gets a central role under the UN blue helmets".
The foreign ministers' meeting ends today while the heads of state will hold their summit Thursday and Friday. – Sapa-AFP.
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