Not Condusive

Well, that's a polite way of saying "hell no we ain't sending no troops to that death trap." So, the cheese stands alone yet again.

"'As far as Pakistan is concerned, our domestic environment is not conducive. It continues to be not conducive. We cannot be seen as an extension of the present forces there,' Musharraf told a news conference at the United Nations.

Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said on Tuesday he had pressed Musharraf to contribute troops to the US-led Multinational Force fighting an insurgency in his country.

The United States and the United Nations also encouraged Pakistan to contribute to a force to protect UN staff in Iraq, diplomats said.

However, Musharraf said Pakistani troops did not want to be considered as occupation forces, 'so our going there now will be totally counterproductive.'

He said that given the new realities on the ground in Iraq, with an interim government preparing for elections, 'security forces should come from Iraq itself.' "