By Jonathan Wright

     WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States sees no role for Israel in any military response to last week's attacks on Washington and New York, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an interview Monday.

     Speaking to the Qatari television station al-Jazeera, Powell also described military action as only a possibility, after Washington's allies have taken other measures.

     The United States is trying to build an international alliance against those who organized the attacks last Tuesday. The prime suspect is Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be living in Afghanistan.

     ``I think that many nations can provide assistance in the form of intelligence and removing from their land terrorist organizations,'' Powell said, according to interview extracts released by al-Jazeera's Washington bureau.

     ``And there may be a time when military power is applied, and for the most part that would be American power, but there may be other nations. I don't see Israel as playing a role in that kind of operation,'' he added.

     Israeli participation in a military strike could frighten off Washington's Arab allies, who resent Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. The United States wants to include Arab states to avoid the impression of an anti-Arab campaign.

     An Israeli role could also endanger the government of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who faces domestic opposition from groups sympathetic to bin Laden.

     DIFFERENCES OVER SYRIA

     The United States has asked Pakistan to let U.S. planes fly over its territory, presumably in case it decides to launch air strikes on bin Laden's Afghan bases.

     Israel and the United States have already differed over who should be eligible to join the international alliance.

     The U.S. State Department has asked Syria to help despite its status as one of the seven countries on the U.S. list of ''state sponsors of terrorism.''

     Powell said Sunday that it was also worth exploring sympathetic comments from Iran after the attacks.

     Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has already called on the United States to exclude Syria, although Damascus has condemned last week's attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

     ``Whoever thinks ... they can just come up to the counter and sign up is mistaken. In my opinion, whoever is involved in terror will not be in this coalition,'' Sharon said.

     Powell played down military aspects of the U.S. campaign and took the occasion to tell Arabs they were not the target. Al-Jazeera, which is based in the Gulf state of Qatar, is one of the most popular satellite stations in the Arab world.

     ``I hope there isn't going to be a war in the traditional sense. There isn't going to be a war against Arabs,'' he said.

     ``It's not a war in the usual sense of battle fought by the military. It's a war for intelligence. It's a war that will use legal means (and) financial weapons,'' he added.

     In contacts with Arab leaders and diplomats, Powell has put the emphasis on sharing information and cutting off the flow of money to groups like bin Laden's.

     The full interview with Powell will be broadcast in the Gulf on Tuesday morning, al-Jazeera sources said.
^ REUTERS@