Many want a date for the return of US and UK troops

The former British ambassador to the UN said extra assistance would be appreciated, but was not essential.

Countries including India and Russia have said they would be willing to send troops to Iraq, but only in the event of a specific UN mandate.

And Sir Jeremy said despite the impression given in the media, much of Iraq was returning to normal.

He told BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend: "The vast proportion of this country is beginning to work quite normally. We have a minimal number of incidents in the southern part at the moment.

"The north is beginning to work properly. Baghdad and some of the central area is difficult in security terms and every bang that goes off, everybody say this place is in chaos. It is not in chaos.

It would be a very good development if we had a wider international involvement but that doesn't mean to say we cannot do what needs to be done with the forces we have deployed already Sir Jeremy Greenstock

"I'm beginning to travel around the country. My staff are driving through towns and villages and talking to people who are happy to be back in their professional work, back in their farms back in their surgeries and back in their schools and doing what is necessary.

"But there is a difficulty in Baghdad and the immediate surrounding area that the coalition forces are dealing with."

Bringing peace and stability to Iraq would not be undermined by the absence of troops from nations requiring UN backing, Sir Jeremy added.

International involvement

"That's their choice to do it under those circumstances... the coalition will do it anyway.

"It would be a very good development if we had a wider international involvement but that doesn't mean to say we cannot do what needs to be done with the forces we have deployed already."

Sir Jeremy said it was important not to rush into handing power back to the Iraqis.

"If you had elections tomorrow or an Iraqi government tomorrow there are very few Iraqis who believe the place would be calm enough for that to happen. It needs the controlling American presence to produce the conditions for elections.

"You can see a period stretching out in front of you that goes well into 2004."