Contacts to convene an Iraqi national congress

News reports said that there are "calm" contacts underway in order to convene an Iraqi national congress including forces opposing the American occupation and the Iraqi interim governing council.

The reports quoted sources taking part in these contacts that Iraqi figures living in Europe and others in Iraq are actively working in order to find an agreement on the general political and organizational formula for this Congress.

Cairo had received a delegation composed of figures working for this conference at the same time when the Interim governing council delegation led by Ibrahim al-Jaafari visited Cairo in August. According to the Iraqi sources, high ranking Egyptian officials received each of the two delegations for their being representatives for Iraqi forces.

The participating sides denied that the proposal of convening an Iraqi national congress to be aimed against the Shiites or in favor of the Sunnis, noting that contacts are being made with the representatives for the trend of the prominent Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sader aiming at boosting his proposal to convene a people's congress in confrontation of occupation and the governing council. However, no reply has been yet issued by al-Sader's faction.