By Alistair Lyon

BAGHDAD, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Iraq's interim foreign minister called on Tuesday for a tough new security force composed of fighters from political groups opposed to Saddam Hussein -- an idea Washington once resisted, but may now be edging towards.

"Security responsibilities need to be handed over to dedicated, politicised Iraqis who are committed to the new Iraq," Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters in an interview.

"They would hunt down Baathist loyalists, within the law, but with a tougher approach," he said. "We need to show people that there is a visible Iraqi authority in the street."

Zebari blamed most of the violence in Iraq on die-hard Baathists bent on revenge for the toppling of Saddam, their leader, even though they knew Saddam could never regain power.

Iraq's U.S.-led administrator Paul Bremer recently made clear he was open to the idea of a new force to counter local guerrillas and foreign Islamists blamed for relentless attacks on U.S. forces and other foreign and Iraqi targets.

But Bremer wants to ensure that its components are not controlled by political factions, are integrated into existing command structures and work in coordination with U.S.-led troops, his spokesman said last week.

The United States is under mounting pressure to quell insurgents who have killed 153 U.S. troops, as well as spreading havoc with suicide attacks and sabotage, since Washington declared major combat in Iraq over on May 1.

Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council has repeatedly urged the creation of a paramilitary force more formidable than the police and better informed than foreign troops.

Zebari said Iraqi parties had tried to persuade the U.S.-led administration to create such a force as early as May, but had been rebuffed. He said it should be controlled by the Interior Ministry and cooperate closely with U.S.-led forces.

NO WARLORDS

"We don't want to encourage private militias or warlords," he said, responding to concerns that rival political factions could exploit the force for their own ends or carve out their own fiefdoms as militia forces in Afghanistan have done.

Bremer has stipulated that members of any new force would have to be recruited as individuals, rather than as members of entire groups, and have to undergo thorough training in respecting human rights and carrying out investigations.

Zebari could not say when the new force might emerge or how big it would be, adding that details of its organisation and reporting lines would have to be worked out. The force would also need help with logistics, transport and communications.

"From our side, we are ready," he said.

Zebari, a Kurd, said Kurdish fighters could join, along with those of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and others contributed by Shi'ite and Sunni parties.

"There are other groups, inside and outside the Governing Council, that have potential resources," he added.

Suicide bombings were probably the work of foreign Islamists entering Iraq to "fight America at our expense", he said, adding that Iraq's neighbours had been reluctant to exert more control over their borders to halt the influx.

Zebari said better intelligence, "not more bombing, more troops or tanks" was the key to defeating the insurgents.

"We also need to reach out to people, to win over the Sunnis. We need to differentiate between the good and the bad people, even those who were in the Baathist establishment."