Arab League prepares for Iraq reconciliation conference

Delegates of the 22-member Arab League met on Thursday in Cairo to discuss the proposed agenda for the upcoming Iraq reconciliation conference, scheduled to begin on November 19. "This conference is the first step on the long path to achieving Iraqi reconciliation," said league Secretary General Amr Moussa at a press conference following the two-hour meeting. The league’s Cairo headquarters will provide the venue for the conference, which, Moussa explained, will aim to establish a date for more comprehensive talks to be held early next year. "This conference is only the first step," the league head told journalists. Moussa initially won support for the reconciliation initiative from a number of Iraqi groups during his visit to Iraq in October. While Moussa didn’t give any details on who specifically would be invited, it is expected that representatives from Iraq’s multi-farious religious sects and political groupings would be present at the conference. The event comes at a time when the divide between the majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni communities increases in the run up to elections in December. Responding to questions raised by journalists about whether the event would be internationalised to include non-Arab players, such as the US, the UK or Russia, Moussa insisted the event would be, at its core, an Iraqi affair. "Only Iraqis will be involved in the process," he said. He added, however, that the tricky subject of Iraqi reconciliation was the responsibility of all Arab nations. "I hope there will be greater coordination between Arab countries to make this event successful," he said. Despite the league chief’s optimism, no details were given on the conference’s agenda, which, according to Moussa, would be worked out among invitees. Critics have questioned the league’s delayed responses to the deteriorating situation in Iraq, which has been occupied by US-led Coalition forces since early 2003. Nevertheless, Moussa confirmed the pan-Arab organisation’s longstanding commitment to the issue. "The Arab League is the body that proposed reconciliation,” he said, “and it has done so at a time when all parties involved are ready to achieve that important goal.” On Friday, the foreign ministers of eight Arab countries – including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq and Bahrain – are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the upcoming conference.