Nations Back Iraq's Fight Vs. Insurgents

[DC09]

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Leaders meeting on Iraq's future plan to give strong backing to the interim government's war against insurgents, but won't set a deadline for withdrawing U.S.-led forces from Iraq — despite a push by France and some Arab countries.

The draft communique for the conference that began Monday, obtained by The Associated Press, 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 January.

Iraq asked Egypt to convene the conference to bolster world support for its battle against insurgents and its plan to hold national elections.

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 — which the Egyptian foreign minister said late Monday had been endorsed by the conference — allows the Iraqi government to decide when the U.S.-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 U.S. and other troops as occupiers.

In a clear rebuff to such sympathies, 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.

"The Iraqi government will put pressure on the neighboring counties not to use their territories to support violence and terrorism in Iraq," said Thair al-Naqeeb, the spokesman for interim leader Ayad Allawi.

In an interview with the AP on Monday, Allawi said neighboring countries had not 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."

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