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ELSINORE, Denmark, Sunday (AFP)

EU foreign ministers sought to cool US sabre-rattling over Iraq, stressing the need for the UN to take the lead and welcoming a reduction of tone by the United States, diplomats said.

Gathered in Ham general discussion and a declaration that we should follow the UN path," said one diplomat in the sidelines of the meeting. "It's important to let the UN work."

Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner was among the few ministers ready to talk to the press before the talks, which came after a first day of discussions Friday centred on EU enlargement. She notably welcomed a softening of tone in the latest by speech by US Vice-President Dick Cheney.

"I welcome Mr Cheney's speech from yesterday to proceed in a unilateral way. There has to be a close agreement between the UN and the EU.

It's absolutely necessary to keep the pressure on Iraq," she told reporters. She added that a reported British proposal to set a deadline for Saddam Hussein did not appear to have garnered much support.

"I don't think we will have a deadline, that the idea of a deadline will become the common position of the EU."

Italian Minister Silvio Berlusconi also sought to cool concern that the US might act unilaterally against Iraq.

"I think President Bush's wish is to get absolute clarification about these weapons (of mass destruction).

This is my personal opinion," he told reporters on his arrival at the meeting.

"President Bush assured me that he would discuss this with his allies. It's not convenient for anybody to proceed with unilateral intervention.

Nobody, not even the world power can remain isolated from Europe and the international community," he said.

Earlier the European Union insisted that Iraq must "immediately" let UN weapons inspectors back into the country, as it sought to temper the drums of war from the United States.

But EU foreign ministers failed to give a deadline for Baghdad to re-admit inspectors, while distancing themselves from the threats of pre-emptive war evoked recently by US leaders.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, whose government is struggling for re-election in a barely three weeks, was among the most outspoken critics of attacks on Baghdad.

"It would be a serious mistake to wage war against Iraq," he told reporters.

"There was a great deal of concern around the table."

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, whose government has until recently been seen as one of the key supporters of the US Bush regime, also appeared to backtrack from war talk, saying the first priority was weapons inspectors.

"There was overwhelming agreement that Saddam Hussein is in breach of the security council resolutions and the first priority is the re-admission of weapons inspsectors," he told reporters.

"There was a general recognition that if the weapons inspectors went back and were able fully to do their job the risks that Iraq poses and any necessity for military action would recede," he added.

Meanwhile British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that doing nothing about the present situation in Iraq was not an option, but no decision had been taken about what action to take.

Blair been seen as one of the main supporters of US leaders who have increasingly been threatening military action in Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein. This has provoked increasing opposition in Britain, including from senior members of Blair's Labour party.

"Doing nothing about Iraq's breach of these UN resolutions (over allowing weapons inspectors back into the country) is not an option," said Blair, according to the Press Association news agency. "That is the only decision that has been taken so far." He added: "The issue of weapons of mass destruction is an issue where the world cannot stand by and allow Iraq to be in flagrant breach of all the United Nations resolutions. "This is the simple truth, nothing has actually changed. The levels of speculation may have changed."

Asked about the level of international opposition to a unilateral US strike against Iraq, Blair referred to previous action in Kosovo and in Afghanistan.

"I point you back, there is a track record we have," he said.

"In Kosovo and in Afghanistan we acted in both a calm and measured and sensible way and it was with the broadest possible international support.

Blair was speaking to reporters while flying to Mozambique where he will start a three-day official visit to southern Africa, ending in Johannesburg where he is due to attend the Earth Summit on Monday..

Meanwhile Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said a war on Iraq would throw the oil-rich Gulf region into chaos and give credence to Osama bin Laden's claim that Muslims were threatened by the West."If Iraq is attacked that means the whole Islamic world is threatened.

A war on Iraq would usher in a recolonisation of the Islamic world, one state after another," he said.

Gaddafi made the remarks during a speech broadcast on television to mark the 33rd anniversary on Sunday of his seizure of power in a coup.

"We warn them that if Iraq was attacked this would prompt chaos and ruin in the region. If the Iraqi regime collapses Iraq would become a second Somalia," Gaddafi said.

"If Iraq is stricken and the regime falls that would give proof to bin Laden who says the Islamic world is threatened by the West," he added.

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