Friday, March 09, 2007
Al-Maliki tours Baghdad neighbourhood ahead of security conference
Security, International, Politics
(AP) Iraq's prime minister strolled Baghdad's streets and visited police checkpoints Friday to showcase security ahead of an international conference aimed at stabilizing the war-torn country with help from its neighbors. Security was heightened across Baghdad as international envoys prepared to arrive for Saturday's conference, which would be held at Iraq's Foreign Ministry just outside the heavily fortified Green Zone.
In Cairo, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said the foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hani Khalaf, would lead his country's delegation to Baghdad on Saturday. "Egypt will provide all possible aid to help the Iraqi people build its national institutions and rebuild the country," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
But bitter squabbles have broken out between Arab countries and Iraq's government ahead of the conference that the U.S. had hoped would unite them. Sunni-led Arab governments will likely use the conference to press for a greater Sunni role in Iraq. That has rankled Iraq's Shiite leaders, who believe the Arabs are trying to reverse their newfound power after decades of being marginalized under Sunni minority rule. The dispute reflects the complicated tensions that are likely to surface at the meeting, which gathers diplomats from Iraq's Arab neighbors, Iran, the United States, Turkey and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
Arab states are likely to try to win U.S. support for their demands, increasing the pressure on Baghdad. Iran has vowed to support its Shiite allies in the Iraqi government, but is also concerned the U.S. will press it on accusations that Tehran is supporting Shiite militants fueling Iraq's bloodshed. It was unclear whether the U.S. and Iran would hold direct meetings on the sidelines of the multilateral conference.
But bitter squabbles have broken out between Arab countries and Iraq's government ahead of the conference that the U.S. had hoped would unite them. Sunni-led Arab governments will likely use the conference to press for a greater Sunni role in Iraq. That has rankled Iraq's Shiite leaders, who believe the Arabs are trying to reverse their newfound power after decades of being marginalized under Sunni minority rule. The dispute reflects the complicated tensions that are likely to surface at the meeting, which gathers diplomats from Iraq's Arab neighbors, Iran, the United States, Turkey and the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
Arab states are likely to try to win U.S. support for their demands, increasing the pressure on Baghdad. Iran has vowed to support its Shiite allies in the Iraqi government, but is also concerned the U.S. will press it on accusations that Tehran is supporting Shiite militants fueling Iraq's bloodshed. It was unclear whether the U.S. and Iran would hold direct meetings on the sidelines of the multilateral conference.
Labels: Baghdad security conference
