Iraq Security Conference Opens In Egypt

Iraq Security Conference Opens In Egypt

May 3, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A two-day international conference on Iraq opened today in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, with talks to focus on ways to end sectarian violence as well as a five-year plan offering Iraq financial and political support.

Representatives from Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria, as well from other Arab states and members of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial countries, the UN, and EU, are attending the event.

Support For International Compact

Speaking at the opening session today, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged "continuous and active" international support for a five-year plan aimed at stabilizing Iraq.

The plan is called the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), and has been worked out by the United Nations, the World Bank, and Iraq. It offers Iraq help with development and reconstruction, aid and investment, and debt relief.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in Sharm el-Sheikh that "the compact represents a road map for the next five years aimed at helping Iraq to achieve its long-term goals of economic prosperity, political stability, and lasting security."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abo al-Gheit said the compact has a "courageous vision that can mobilize international support to rebuild [Iraq] and to achieve development in this country that has suffered and whose people have suffered too much for a long time."

The ICI offers Iraq help with development and reconstruction, aid and investment, and debt relief.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said at the opening session that Iraq is concerned about its debt burden, adding that it is dragging the country down. "We call upon all our friends and brothers who are taking part in this conference to eliminate the debts of Iraq so Iraq can start building, reconstruction, and development projects and start rebuilding destroyed infrastructure," he said.

Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh told AFP news agency before the conference began that he expected countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt to write off up to $40 billon to $50 billion worth of debt at the meeting.

The conference is expected to adopt the ICI later today.

But if today's activities focus largely on the signing of the UN-sponsored economic plan, events on May 4 are likely to be less harmonious.

That is because May 4 is reserved for a ministerial-level conference on how to solve Iraq's security problems -- a conference where many of the participants are likely to disagree.

Spotlight On U.S.-Iran Talks

On center stage are the United States and Iran, the two major foreign powers competing over Iraq's future.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda correspondent Mahtab Farid reports from Sharm el-Sheikh that the spotlight is very much on U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Iranian counterpart, Manuchehr Mottaki, and on whether they will hold bilateral talks.

The attention on the pair began the moment they arrived separately to the summit today. Farid notes that Rice "came through a back door, but as soon as the reporters noticed her, all the cameras ran to her. And, of course, the arrival of the Iranian foreign minister was a big deal, [Mottaki], when he arrived, again all the cameras and spotlights were on him."

Washington accuses Iran of arming Shi'ite militia members who are not only fighting against U.S. troops but also with Sunni militants -- raising fears of increasing communal warfare in Iraq.

Mottaki said in Sharm el-Sheikh today that "we do believe [that] all the parties -- everybody -- should support Iraq [in achieving] stability, security in that country."

The United States and Iran also have deep differences over Iran's nuclear program, through Washington has said any talks would focus on Iraq.

The United States and Iran have not had any significant contact at the foreign-minister level since they broke off relations over the hostage taking of U.S. diplomats in Tehran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

There is also great interest in whether Rice may meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim. Washington accuses Syria of doing too little to stop the flow of funds and fighters to Iraq's Sunni-based insurgency.

Limited Hopes

The conference is being closely watched in the region amid fears Iraq's crisis could spread across its borders. Many Iraqis have fled the violence at home to neighboring states.

In Iraq itself, Iraqis express mixed opinions about the proceedings in Sharm el-Sheikh. Some are optimistic, looking at the meeting as the last chance to save the country.

Ahmad, a resident of Baghdad, told Reuters today: "God willing, we are optimistic because of the hard situation we are living in. We need a step forward despite the fact that the previous meetings were unfruitful. We are looking forward to a last chance for Iraq."

However, some others are skeptical that a solution to the problems might be found.

"What optimism are they talking about!" Baghdad resident Faruq Riyadh said. "Did the last conferences succeed, so this one would succeed too? I'm not optimistic."

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Iraq Security Conference Opens In Egypt