BRUSSELS, 23 June 2005 — Saudi Arabia yesterday emphasized its vision of an independent and unified Iraq and said it would extend $1 billion in the form of soft loans for the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Addressing an international conference here, attended by over 80 governments and international institutions, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said Riyadh was also ready to write off part of Iraq’s debt burden.
The conference backed the efforts of Baghdad’s transitional government to fight terrorism, while the United States and the European Union warned Syria to stop insurgents using its territory for attacks in Iraq.
The daylong meeting also resulted in international promises to help reduce Iraq’s foreign debt, speed up aid deliveries and contribute to efforts to draft a new constitution.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Syria to stop insurgents from crossing its border with Iraq. “This is a real problem for the Iraqi people ... something needs to be done,” she said.
“Terrorism can and will be defeated in Iraq... Our own security is dependent on defeat of terror in this great region,” Rice told reporters.
In his keynote address, Prince Saud stressed the importance of bringing political stability to Iraq, saying it was a “precondition for the success of this conference.”
He promised that Saudi Arabia would play the role of a “principal partner” in the Iraqi reconstruction process. “We have already given $300 million in humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as telling the conference.
“The Kingdom has also expressed its readiness to look into the matter of reducing Iraq’s debt burden. We have already handed over information to the Iraqi side in this respect. With the formation of the Iraqi government, we are looking forward to direct talks on writing off debts and reduce its burden,” he explained.
Prince Saud also urged the international community to focus on the unity and reconciliation of the Iraqi people. “This is essential for the establishment of legitimate government institutions and for reinforcing security and political stability in the country.”
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Baghdad was “extremely uncomfortable” with help for terrorist groups being provided by some of its neighbors. Neighboring nations must “exert their ability to prevent infiltration of terrorism into Iraq, conduct stricter border controls, denounce public agitation and deal constructively with our government,” said Zebari.
However, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Shara said that while Damascus was ready to strengthen anti-terror controls on its borders with Iraq, US sanctions meant it lacked the equipment to do so.
The meeting focused on Iraq’s economic reconstruction and efforts to draft a new constitution. “We are going through a very critical and important stage ... the coming months are very crucial. We need your continued support and attention,” Zebari told the conference.
International differences over the US-led Iraq war were now history because “we are all in a partnership,” Zebari said.
A statement issued by the conference called for “national reconciliation” in Iraq, saying all groups which rejected violence should be allowed to participate in the country’s politics. Drafting the new constitution must be a “participatory, transparent process that responds to the demands of all constituencies,” United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan insisted.
Spotlighting the need to revive Iraq’s devastated economy, Minister of Finance Ali Allawi called on donors to write off Iraq’s debt burden, saying this was crucial for ensuring that “economic revival commences in earnest.”
Earlier, Egypt and Jordan became the first Arab countries to appoint ambassadors to Baghdad since the Arabs vehemently opposed the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam, top diplomats said yesterday.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Farouk Kassrawi also said his government had appointed a new ambassador to Baghdad. “We will be sending our new ambassador to Iraq very soon.”
Meanwhile, at least 18 people were killed and 46 wounded in three car bomb attacks yesterday in Baghdad’s mainly Shiite district of Shuala, an Interior Ministry source said in Baghdad.
The near simultaneous attacks happened at about 8:30 p.m. with one going off outside the office of Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, another in a parking lot and a third one on the main street at the entrance of the district on the capital’s northwestern side.
Earlier, Sunni Arab lawyer who had been asked to join a parliamentary committee to draft a new Iraqi constitution was gunned down together with his teenage son in Baghdad.
In one of the attacks three civilians were wounded when a parked car blew up near Maisalun Square. It exploded 20 meters from a checkpoint leading to the home of Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Hussein Kamal. Another car bomb exploded in the path of a US military convoy traveling on the Al-Qadisiyah highway in the city center, said an Interior Ministry source without elaborating.
Earlier, Jasim Al-Issawi, 50, and his 15-year-old son died when gunmen shot at their car in Shuala. Issawi was also the spokesman for the Sunni High Council for Fatwas (religious edicts) and a contributing editor to Al-Siyada newspaper.
— Additional input from agencies.
