"The United States endorses Mr. Ban's call for an expanded United Nations role in Iraq to help Iraq become a peaceful, stable country -- one that will be a peaceful, stable partner in the international community and a force for moderation in the region," Zalmay Khalilzad wrote in Friday's New York Times.

Khalilzad, who served as US ambassador to Iraq from 2005 to last April, highlighted Ban's comments after a White House meeting with US President George W. Bush Tuesday that the UN is ready to assist the Iraqi government and people.

And he noted that the world body was soon to appoint a new special UN envoy for Iraq to replace Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and the Security Council to renew the mandate of the UN mission in Baghdad.

Khalilzad said the new UN envoy should have a mandate to help Iraqis complete work on a range of issues, including legislation on the distribution of oil revenues, reform of the controversial de-Baathification law, demobilisation of militias and a deal for insurgents to give up their armed struggle.