WASHINGTON, Sep 3,2003 (Reuters) - President Bush on Tuesday directed Secretary of State Colin Powell to open negotiations at the U.N. Security Council on a resolution aimed at getting international support for U.S. efforts in Iraq, a senior U.S. official said.In an afternoon meeting, Bush and Powell discussed ways to convince the council to provide backing for a multinational force under a single command as recommended by U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan, the official said.

"Secretary Powell is going to be working with our colleagues on the Security Council to talk about language that can bring the maximum international resources to bear on the issues in Iraq," the official said.