Iraq reconciliation efforts clouded by divisions

Iraqis demonstrate in Baghdad yesterday to protest continued violence in their war-torn country and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in interior ministry jails. PHOTO: AFP

The first of the three days of Arab League-sponsored talks on Saturday was marked by bitter recriminations between the war-torn country's factions and a brief walkout from one session by Shia and Kurdish delegations.

Sunni Arab politician Adnan al-Dulaimi, who was sacked earlier this year as head of Iraq's Waqf or Islamic endowment body, told reporters that a February 25-March 1 date was being considered for the reconciliation conference itself.

"We don't have too high expectations. The purpose of this meeting is to develop an agenda. If we reach an agreed agenda, this will already be a big step," Iraqi government spokesman Leith Kubba said Saturday.

Three committees tasked with preparing a wider reconciliation conference in Baghdad, with "building confidence" and drafting the Cairo gathering's final statement began meeting Sunday.

Jawad al-Khalsi, an influential Shia imam who has been central to recent dialogue efforts, did not hide his disappointment when the first day of talks came to an end.

"We are divided between parties who are opposed and others who are favourable to the occupation. But we're still at square one since we were not given the opportunity to discuss in depth the crucial issue of a withdrawal timetable," he told AFP.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari set the tone of the meeting at the opening on Saturday, when he firmly vetoed the participation of members of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime.

Egypt and Arab League chief Amr Mussa had pressured the Iraqi government to allow former members of the now banned Baath party "with no blood on their hands" to be included in the talks.

"I appreciate Amr Mussa's efforts that led to this meeting, but here's what I tell him: it may be difficult to gather all the protagonists but it is even more difficult to deal with the reality on the ground, when the other is carrying arms and spilling blood," Jaafari said.

His comments prompted an angry reaction from the Committee of Muslim Scholars, the leading Sunni religious authority in Iraq.

The rest of the day was marked by deep confessional divisions and news of yet another deadly suicide bombing by the Sunni-dominated insurgency in Iraq targeting the majority Shia community.