Iraq's interim prime minister appealed for a major infusion of foreign troops and international aid to help his country hold elections by January, saying a failure to achieve democracy would be a victory for terrorism. Standing before the leaders of many nations that opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Ayad Allawi on Friday urged the international community to set aside its differences over the legality of the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein and "stand fast by Iraq." "We need to broaden the base of troop-contributing countries to (the multinational force) so that we would stand more determined and be better equipped to confront terrorism," he said in his first appearance before the U.N. General Assembly. After his speech, Allawi also reiterated his insistence that the elections will be held on schedule and that "all eligible Iraqis will be able to vote" _ assertions that came amid concern some areas in Iraq may be inaccessible to voters due to the insurgency. "Do not be neutral in this struggle. Do not remain idle, but join us for our sake and for your own sake," Allawi told world leaders from the rostrum where U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday had defended his decision to go to war.
