US to meet Iraq's neighbors, but sectarian divisions remain deep
Sunnis and Shiites are split as officials prepare to gather in Egypt to discuss Iraq's future.
from the May 3, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
In that sense the compact resembles the "benchmarks" sought by the US Congress in exchange for a continued US military presence in Iraq.
Yet while a number of countries have agreed to some debt relief – Saudi Arabia notably agreed to write off 80 percent of the $15 billion in Iraqi debt it holds – resistance to fully forgiving the debt of an oil-rich country remains strong. In addition, countries like Kuwait and Iran continue to seek billions of dollars in reparations for wars from the Saddam Hussein era.
Telltale signs of regional rifts remained apparent up to the eve of the conference. An Arab-backed draft of the compact called for "constructive steps towards reviewing and amending" the constitution and the "de-Baathification" law that threw thousands of Iraqi Sunnis out of their jobs. But a version Iraq supports only calls for a "review' of the constitution and does not mention de-Baathification.
The divisions show the difficulties of trying to foster a regional diplomatic process – one of the top recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. But some experts still see a key role for neighboring countries in motivating Iraqis to take some reconciliation measures lacking so far.
"Use the regional leverage and that would really bring fear, and maybe then they will move on and compromise on some of these critical issues," says Laith Kubba, a top aide to former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari who is now at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington. "The Kurds fear Turkey ....The Shiites fear the Arab presence in all its weight .... The Sunnis are afraid of Iran," he adds. "It's a way to get all of them thinking in national terms."
And prompting Iraqis to act more like a nation might be one of the more useful influences the neighbors could have, analysts say. "The nature of the Iraqi government just now is part of the problem. It acts mostly like a collection of political parties and sectarian powers," says Shteiwi. "What Iraq needs is a national leader who acts like he is leading a state rather than a party."
Iraq conference goals
Attendees hope to:
• Deliver 100 percent debt relief
• Provide reconstruction assistance
• Improve security on Iraq's borders
In exchange, they want Iraq to:
• Share oil revenue with major ethnic groups
• Disband militias
• Reconcile with Sunni political groups
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