United Nations ? The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the mandate of the nearly 180,000-strong multinational force in Iraq for a year, a move the United States called a significant signal of international commitment to Iraq’s political transition.

The resolution co-sponsored by the United States, Britain, Denmark, Japan and Romania was adopted in response to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari for the U.S.-led force to remain in the country.

The current mandate authorizing the presence of the force expires on Dec. 31, just two weeks after the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections in Iraq which end the political process laid out by the Security Council.

The resolution adopted Tuesday extends the force’s mandate until Dec. 31, 2006, with a review in mid-June. Under its terms, the council will “terminate this mandate earlier if requested by the government of Iraq.”

The force currently comprises 157,000 American troops and 22,000 troops from other countries.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called the unanimous vote “a significant signal that the international community’s committed to making the process in Iraq – as they attempt to create institutions of representative government – succeed.”

Asked why the resolution was adopted nearly two months early, Bolton said: “We wanted to get the mandate extended to show the solidarity of international support for the electoral process in Iraq and to avoid it becoming an issue in the upcoming election, and also to resolve it well before the Dec. 31 expiration.”

After the vote, Iraq’s U.N. Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie thanked council members for their backing.

“With such clear and unequivocal support from the international community for this political transition, we will go forward with redoubled effort and redoubled confidence to complete our journey towards peace and prosperity in Iraq and for the defeat of terrorism in our country,” he said.

“It is very important for the international community that this process is successful,” Sumaidaie said of the upcoming elections and formation of a new government. “Failure would be too awful to contemplate and would represent a threat to regional and international peace.”

In a letter to the council on Oct. 31, Iraq’s al-Jaafari sought the yearlong extension.

“The Iraqi national security forces which are increasing in size, capability and experience … need more time to complete their training … in order to take over the primary responsibility of providing adequate security for Iraqis,” he wrote.

When the multinational force might be able to leave remains a major question for the council, and its key troop contributors.

On Oct. 29, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote a letter to the council saying “substantial progress” has been made to build and train Iraqi security forces and allow them to take on increasing security responsibilities.

The Iraqi government and the multinational force are developing “a security plan to set forth the conditions necessary for transfer of security responsibility” for the international force to Iraq, Rice wrote.

“Conditions permitting, we look forward to notable progress in the next year,” she wrote. “Together, we will build towards the day when the Iraqi forces assume full responsibility for the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq.”