As head of a 21-nation multinational division, Poland assumed control from the US Marine Corps amid pomp and ceremony in the amphitheater of Babylon, built by Saddam Hussein on the ruins of the original theatre erected by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.

The ceremony was attended by Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski and his Ukrainian counterpart, Evhen Marchuk, along with Spanish officials, whose nations will take charge of the provinces from the exiting marines.

"The multinational division has become a first, it was founded with the help of our American friends and thanks to the brave decision by 21 countries," said Poland's Major General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz near the site of Iraq's ancient glory outside Hilla, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad.

"Our common focus is to help Iraqi people, and to wipe out the traces of Saddam Hussein's monstrous dictatorship and build a new basis of peaceful existence."

Tyszkiewicz was handed a red folder, symbolising the change in control, from the commander for the US marines in the south, Lieutenant General James Conway.

Conway told his successors the greatest challenge in the south was to restore electricity, end fuel shortages and get factories up and running.

The multinational division was setting up shop in an area that the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority has touted as a success story, but this vision has been rudely jolted by violence across the south-central region in the last month, including the shooting of a soldier in Hilla two weeks ago.

The top US ground commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, expressed confidence the new members of the coalition forces were up to the task.

"I have absolute confidence in these 21 nations who have made a commitment to the nation of Iraq," Sanchez said.

After the ceremony, Tyszkiewicz indirectly referred to the coalition's failure to bring in many nations from the United Nations for the peace-keeping mission.

"We're open to all other countries who wish to join our multinational division," said Tsyzkiewicz.

"We'd be extremely happy if the Western European nations joined us."

With the handover, the provinces of Karbala and Babil will be under Polish command. Najaf and al-Qadisiyah will be under Spanish control and the province of Wasit will be under Ukrainian command. The southern provinces of Basra, Muthanna, Maysan and Dhi Qar fall under a British-led multinational division.