"It is unrealistic to ask the multinational force to leave Iraq today because the security structures necessary for stability in the country have not yet been created," Saleh said after a meeting here with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad which touched on the issue.

Last week Assad and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami made a joint call for the rapid departure of foreign troops from Iraq, where insurgents are continuing their attacks despite the US-led occupation handing over power to an Iraqi interim government at the end of June.

"This force is in Iraq at Iraqi request. Its departure at this stage would not be useful either for Iraq or for the region. It would be a catastrophe for security," Saleh said.

The Iraqi minister, who arrived in Damascus on Saturday from Beirut, said Assad had spoken of his interest in the security of his country's eastern neighbour, adding that both countries agreed on the need to cooperate to prevent foreign militants crossing the border into Iraq.

Assad also held talks with UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi Sunday on the "role that the United Nations can play in the ... return of stability to Iraq," the official SANA news agency reported.

Syria is accused by Washington of failing to do enough to stop the infiltration of foreign militants into Iraq, a charge Damascus denies.

And last week, a British newspaper quoted Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari as saying his government had gathered information from intelligence services showing support by some neighbouring countries for the insurgents.

Zebari did not name the foreign powers, but the Sunday Telegraph quoted "senior Iraqi officials" as indicating "that Iran and Syria were the worst offenders".

WAR.WIRE