Arab League official to Baghdad on reconciliation mission
Iraq-Regional, Politics, 10/4/2005

News reports in Cairo said that the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, decided to delegate his assistant for political affairs Ahmad Bin Hali within the few coming days to hold talks with the Iraqi officials.

This came in preparations for Moussa's expected visit to Iraq before the convening of an Iraqi national reconciliation conference under the supervision of the Arab League. Bin Hali is due to make contacts with all Iraqi parties and forces.

Saudi Arabia proposed such a convening of a reconciliation conference. The Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal expressed his hope that the conference will lead to achieve national consensus over the constitution and ensuring the participation of all Iraqi factions in the political operation. In this context, Riyadh repeated its warnings against the risks of partitioning Iraq on sectarian bases.

Meantime, the spokesman for the US state department Sean McCormack welcomed the Arab proposal and described it as a positive development towards supporting the Iraqi government.

This is however, the first initiative to be proposed by the Arab League since the invasion of Iraq and toppling the government of the former President Saddam Hussein in 2003. Nevertheless, observers consider the moves of the Arab League will face difficulties especially as these moves come less than two weeks to the referendum on the new constitution which is strongly criticized by the Sunni in Iraq.

Previous Stories:
  Rice: a new Iraq parliament under the new constitution may address interest of all   (10/3/2005)
  Abul-Gheit expresses Egypt's concern over spiralling violence in Iraq   (10/3/2005)
  Iraq's FM apologizes over interior minister's insults to Saudi Arabia   (10/3/2005)
  Talibani calls for resignation of Jaafari   (10/3/2005)
  Arab foreign ministers meet on Iraq   (10/3/2005)
  Arab organizations condemn Iraq bombs   (9/16/2005)
  Arab League opens an office in Iraq   (9/9/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search