Rice fails to clinch Arab commitments on Iraq [View All]

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

MANAMA (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Sunni-led Arab allies on Monday to try to persuade them to back Iraq's Shiite leadership but failed to clinch any concrete commitments on debt relief or diplomatic presence.

Speaking after the meeting in Bahrain with counterparts from eight Arab countries and Iraq, Rice said the talks covered relieving Iraq of billions of dollars in debt and sending ambassadors to the war-torn nation, but she did not report any decision on either score.

"I do believe it's a process which will move forward," she told reporters after the meeting with the Arab diplomats, which came one day after she made a surprise visit to Baghdad.

"A number of countries around the table talked about their desire to have permanent representatives" in Baghdad, she said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080421/wl_afp/iraqusdiplomacygulfmideast_080421132510

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Arab nations non-committal on Iraq debt, embassies
Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:28am EDT By Mohammed Abbas and Sue Pleming

MANAMA, April 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received no firm commitments on debt relief for Iraq or greater Arab diplomatic representation in Baghdad after a meeting of Arab states on Monday.

But she said after a conference of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Jordan and Egypt that Iraq would now routinely attend Gulf Arab meetings, which signalled Baghdad's "reintegration" into regional politics after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari warmly embraced his Saudi counterpart as he entered the Bahrain meeting and said the atmosphere among neighbours had improved.

"A number of countries around the table talked about their desire of having permanent representation in Iraq. The necessary arrangements would need to be made," Rice told a news conference

more:http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSL2128293920080421