WASHINGTON � A powerful coalition of feminists is gearing up to fight an effort by members of Hillary Rodham Clinton's women's commission to weaken laws on international trafficking of prostitutes.

The coalition, which includes Patricia Ireland of the National Organization for Women and Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem, sent a letter this week to the White House to protest the United States' proposal to get the United Nations to drop its condemnation of those who deal in prostitution.

Although the feminists steered their complaint away from the first lady, some religious-conservative opponents have targeted Clinton.  The three State Department officials behind the effort to change the U.N. policy on prostitution trafficking � Anita Botti, Theresa Loar and Stephen Warnath � all have ties to Clinton.  Botti and Loar sit on the President's Interagency Council on Women, which is chaired by Hillary Clinton.  Warnath, who is counsel to Clinton's women's council, is one of the lead negotiators in favor of what some feminists see as a pro-prostitution position taken by the United States.

Equality Now President Jessica Neuwirth, who formed the nine-member feminist coalition that's opposing the weakened policy on prostitution, said she's "interested" in Clinton's role.  "I'd like to know where she stands on it," Neuwirth said.  Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt, who signed onto Neuwirth's letter, also wants to know where Clinton stands.  "This is an issue that I believe will become larger," Feldt said.  "Sex trafficking robs women of their most basic and fundamental rights."

The policy backed by Clinton's allies would condemn trafficking in international prostitution only when it can be proved that the prostitutes were forced or coerced into their selling their bodies.  Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said he didn't know if she supported the weakened proposal.