1.   American troops will not be part of the multinational security force being assembled under British leadership which is expected to begin its mission within days.

2.   At the United Nations, the special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, called Tuesday for a two-year transitional government backed by a multinational security force.

3.   A reluctance to create some kind of multinational security force here could end up costing us the peace.

4.   A spokesman for the multinational security force said soldiers were on standby to assist any rescue effort.

5.   Alliance leaders reiterated to Dobbins their reluctance to withdraw their forces and allow control of the capital to be transferred temporarily to a multinational security force.

6.   But the tricky issue of a multinational security force remained subject to further discussion.

7.   Herve Fouilland, a French army spokesman, said the mission for the multinational security force would be to make the airfield in Afghanistan safe for relief efforts.

8.   Nor has there been any serious discussion of a multinational security force that might help keep the peace in the capital, Kabul.

9.   The episode is expected to complicate the Italian effort to assemble the multinational security contingent, which was approved on Friday by the U.N. Security Council.

10.   The United Nations called Tuesday for a two-year transitional government for Afghanistan backed by a multinational security force.