Iraqi interim president accepts to meet resistance representatives

Iraq's Muslim Ccholars Commission, a major Sunni representative group, welcomed the readiness of the Interim Iraqi President Jalal al-Talibani to meet with representatives for the Iraqi resistance "if these groups wish so."

Talibani stressed in statements, on the sideline of the inter- Iraqi reconciliation conference being held in Cairo, that he does not refuse to meet with any Iraq, and doing so does not mean accepting their position.

He renewed stress that there is no justification for any armed acts in Iraq, and that "weapons should not be carried against the government." Differences erupted in the opening of the conference on Saturday between the Interim government and the Muslim Scholars Commission over issues of the withdrawal of the foreign forces from Iraq and the armed operations.

In this context, the spokesman for the Iraqi government Leith Kebbeh said that expectations should not be exaggerated over the results to be achieved by the preliminary meeting, considering that having an agreement on the conference's agenda is a big first step.

The consultant at the Arab League, Hussein al-Douri, said that the most important issue at the meantime is reaching a general framework based on basic principles that comply with the supreme interests of Iraq.

Talks are being carried out in the meetings over the date and place of the conference. The preparation and confidence building mmeasures committee held a meeting on Sunday meeting. The secretary general of the Iraq's people conference said that the proposed meeting is February 25, 2006 to March 1st of that year inside Iraq.

The secretary general of the Muslim Scholars Commission, Sheikh Hareth al- Dari, said that the conference will be meeting on March 1st, specifying not the place for convening it.