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xrough · 05-03-2007, 22:56 PM

Iraq, US plead for support

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice urged the world on Thursday to rescue Iraq from chaos and bankruptcy.

They made their appeal for international solidarity in efforts to end the bloodshed at a conference in Egypt, which was overshadowed by the prospect of rare meetings between the United States and its foes Iran and Syria.

"We consider this conference in Sharm el-Sheikh to be an international show of support for Iraq, and the main aim of the International Compact is to rebuild a unified, democratic and federal Iraq and to distribute its wealth fairly," Maliki said in his opening remarks.

Foreign ministers and top diplomats from more than 50 countries gathered in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to launch the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), a five-year plan aimed at stabilizing war-torn Iraq.

The document includes a raft of measures to give fresh impetus to Iraq's economy, improve governance and offer financial assistance, in a process key players hope will bolster reconciliation between warring communities.

"We call on all participating countries to cancel Iraq's debt in order to allow it to begin the building and development and to fix the destroyed infrastructure," Maliki said.

Iraq's Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh told AFP before the conference kicked off he expected countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt to write off up to 40-50 billion dollars of debt at the meeting.

"Your support will allow the national unity government to continue dedicating itself to the political process and democracy," Maliki told participants.

The meeting was seen as the biggest diplomatic push to solve Iraq's many woes since the US-led invasion in March 2003 and Rice urged broad and sustained support for the new initiative.

"Today's Compact meeting is an historic event, but we all know it is the beginning of a process and not an end in itself," she said.

"This process will grow and strengthen as more countries and organizations commit to supporting Iraq, so we must all work to expand international participation in this compact," she added.

On her way to the conference, Rice said the onus was on Iraq's neighbors to show their commitment to ending violence, warning that their own stability was at stake.

Completing a shift in US policy, Rice was expected to hold rare meetings with Syria and Iran, two of Iraq's neighbors which Washington has repeatedly accused of supporting the Sunni insurgency and Shiite militias respectively.

A senior US state department official told reporters on condition of anonymity that Rice would meet Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem later Thursday.

The last high-ranking US official to hold talks with Syrian officials was then deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage, who travelled to Damascus in January 2005.

Speculation also abounded over a possible Rice meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki.

The two are expected to attend consultations together but it remained unclear whether they would engage in deep bilateral talks, which would mark the first high level talks meeting since diplomatic relations broke off in 1980.

On her way to Egypt, Rice indicated that she would also be ready to discuss issues other than Iraq with the Iranian foreign minister, including the standoff over the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

"I think I could handle any question as asked," she said.

Key points of the ICI plan include new laws on oil revenue sharing and on the return to public life of members of the late Saddam Hussein's regime.

Friday's meetings are expected to bring together Iraq's neighbors in a bid to step up cooperation on security issues, such as cross-border smuggling of weapons and militants.

The conference comes against the backdrop of an intense battle between US President George W. Bush's administration and the Democrat-dominated Congress over the war in Iraq.

On Tuesday, Bush dashed the hopes of some of Iraq's neighbors for a firm timetable for the withdrawal of US troops by vetoing a bill setting a start date for a pullout.

05-03-2007, 22:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
xrough *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-08-07 Location: Manila Posts: 926 Country:	Iraq, US plead for support Iraq, US plead for support SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice urged the world on Thursday to rescue Iraq from chaos and bankruptcy. They made their appeal for international solidarity in efforts to end the bloodshed at a conference in Egypt, which was overshadowed by the prospect of rare meetings between the United States and its foes Iran and Syria. "We consider this conference in Sharm el-Sheikh to be an international show of support for Iraq, and the main aim of the International Compact is to rebuild a unified, democratic and federal Iraq and to distribute its wealth fairly," Maliki said in his opening remarks. Foreign ministers and top diplomats from more than 50 countries gathered in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to launch the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), a five-year plan aimed at stabilizing war-torn Iraq. The document includes a raft of measures to give fresh impetus to Iraq's economy, improve governance and offer financial assistance, in a process key players hope will bolster reconciliation between warring communities. "We call on all participating countries to cancel Iraq's debt in order to allow it to begin the building and development and to fix the destroyed infrastructure," Maliki said. Iraq's Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh told AFP before the conference kicked off he expected countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt to write off up to 40-50 billion dollars of debt at the meeting. "Your support will allow the national unity government to continue dedicating itself to the political process and democracy," Maliki told participants. The meeting was seen as the biggest diplomatic push to solve Iraq's many woes since the US-led invasion in March 2003 and Rice urged broad and sustained support for the new initiative. "Today's Compact meeting is an historic event, but we all know it is the beginning of a process and not an end in itself," she said. "This process will grow and strengthen as more countries and organizations commit to supporting Iraq, so we must all work to expand international participation in this compact," she added. On her way to the conference, Rice said the onus was on Iraq's neighbors to show their commitment to ending violence, warning that their own stability was at stake. Completing a shift in US policy, Rice was expected to hold rare meetings with Syria and Iran, two of Iraq's neighbors which Washington has repeatedly accused of supporting the Sunni insurgency and Shiite militias respectively. A senior US state department official told reporters on condition of anonymity that Rice would meet Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem later Thursday. The last high-ranking US official to hold talks with Syrian officials was then deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage, who travelled to Damascus in January 2005. Speculation also abounded over a possible Rice meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki. The two are expected to attend consultations together but it remained unclear whether they would engage in deep bilateral talks, which would mark the first high level talks meeting since diplomatic relations broke off in 1980. On her way to Egypt, Rice indicated that she would also be ready to discuss issues other than Iraq with the Iranian foreign minister, including the standoff over the Islamic republic's nuclear program. "I think I could handle any question as asked," she said. Key points of the ICI plan include new laws on oil revenue sharing and on the return to public life of members of the late Saddam Hussein's regime. Friday's meetings are expected to bring together Iraq's neighbors in a bid to step up cooperation on security issues, such as cross-border smuggling of weapons and militants. The conference comes against the backdrop of an intense battle between US President George W. Bush's administration and the Democrat-dominated Congress over the war in Iraq. On Tuesday, Bush dashed the hopes of some of Iraq's neighbors for a firm timetable for the withdrawal of US troops by vetoing a bill setting a start date for a pullout. __________________