Conference on Iraq backs war on insurgents

While sharp difference remain on how to proceed, the participating nations and world bodies have committed to supporting the US-backed Iraqi interim government and finalised a draft statement, obtained by The Associated Press.

In it, they gave strong backing to the Iraqi government's war against insurgents but did not set a deadline for withdrawing US-led forces from Iraq, despite a push by France and some Arab countries.

The draft communique for the two-day conference, which ends Tuesday, also says the interim Iraqi government should meet with its opponents to try to persuade them to take part in the general elections scheduled for Jan. 30.

The meeting brought together Iraq's six neighbors Iran, Syria, Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt and several other Arab countries, China and regional bodies such as the Group of Eight, the United Nations, the European Union, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Syria's foreign minister, Farouk al-Sharaa, had tried to seek support for setting a deadline for the withdrawal of foreign forces in Iraq. But the draft communique allows the Iraqi government to decide when the US-led troops should depart. It does remind them that their mandate is "not open-ended."

For all its bloodshed, the insurgency enjoys a certain support in the Arab world, where many regard the US and other troops as occupiers.

The draft communique says the participants condemn "all acts of terrorism in Iraq" and call for "the immediate cessation of all such acts in order to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people."

In what could be the most contentious part of the conference, Iraq has said it will ask neighboring states to tighten their borders against the infiltration of would-be insurgents and to share information about groups supporting the militants.

Iraq's interim leader, Ayad Allawi, in an interview with the AP on Monday, said neighboring countries haven't pulled their weight against the insurgency.

"Certainly, some brothers and leaders in some neighboring nations did not do enough," Allawi said. "They should have tried to help us at a time when we needed help."

On his arrival Monday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari shrugged off calls by some Sunni Muslims for Iraqis to boycott the elections, set for Jan. 30.

"They do not represent all Sunnis. If they want to prove their popularity, the only way is through the ballot box," Zebari said.

In Baghdad, Allawi also dismissed boycott advocates as "the eventual losers," and said his government was determined to hold the elections on time.

France, which opposed the invasion of Iraq, had urged the conference to invite government opponents. Such groups are not attending, but Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister, said the views of the Association of Muslim Scholars will be aired.

At dinner on Monday night, host Egypt sat Powell next to his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharrazi, but a senior State Department official said only polite dinner conversation was exchanged.