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Journalism of Courage
Iraq’s neighbours, including Iran and Syria, have agreed to join US and British representatives at a regional conference here on the Iraqi security crisis, government officials said on Wednesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi said Russia and France were studying the invitation, but “I don’t see any sign they will refuse.”
“Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, even the US and Britain have informed us they will participate,” he said, although Tehran has said publicly it has made no decision. Abawi also said China had agreed to attend.
Abawi said the date would be set within two days. Iraqi state television said the tentative date for the conference was March 10.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s adviser, Sami al-Askari, also said neighbouring countries had agreed to come. Iran has publicly said it is studying the invitation.
“The conference will be important. It will prove that Iraq is politically capable of holding such a conference. It will send a message,” Abawi said.
Al-Askari said it would give countries such as the US, Iran and Syria an opportunity “to sit down together without paying a political price.” The US has said it will attend both a mid-level meeting in March and a ministerial meeting that may be held in April.
American officials had said on Tuesday they had agreed to have the highest-level contact with Iranian authorities in more than two years as part of an international meeting on Iraq. The discussions are expected to include Condoleezza Rice and her Iranian and Syrian counterparts. This marks a shift in President George Bush’s avoidance of high-level contact with governments in Damascus and Tehran.
“In order to help resolve problems in Iraq, Iran will do its utmost. We will attend the meeting if (we reach the conclusion) that it is in Iraq’s interests,” Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was quoted as saying.
