Let's deploy lots of these puppies along the border:
Posted on 11/01/2003 12:16:32 PM PST by Kaslin
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Iraq's neighbors opened a conference Saturday on the impact of the U.S.-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein, but Baghdad's interim government - insulted by a last-minute invitation - snubbed the talks and vowed to reject any decisions made there.
Iraqi officials had planned to use the forum in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to demand an end to cross-border infiltration by foreign fighters believed to have role in a recent upsurge of violence in Iraq.
Attending the meeting were foreign ministers of Syria, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, plus politically influential Egypt, the largest Arab country. They started out by discussing current Middle East issues, particularly ways to restore security and stability in Iraq and the region, Syria's official news agency, SANA, said.
Earlier, however, a dispute over whether Iraq should participate had threatened to derail the two-day regional consultations, highlighting lingering divisions over the war.
Syria and Iran strongly opposed the U.S.-led conflict, while Kuwait was the launching pad for the invading American forces. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt are key U.S. allies in the region.
Some worried that Iraq's presence could divert the forum's focus from discussing the war's regional impact to direct involvement by neighboring states in the process of security and stability. The issue of military participation by Iraq's neighbors in a stabilization force was expected to be raised.
Turkey has offered to send 10,000 troops to Iraq, but deployment is increasingly uncertain amid strong opposition by many Iraqis and some neighboring countries.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said Amman would repeat that "it is dangerous" to send military forces to Iraq from neighboring countries, Jordan's official Petra news agency reported.
Despite conflict over Baghdad's possible role at the talks, Syria extended a last-minute invitation to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari late Friday night.
Zebari was asked to come to Damascus to attend a session Sunday, with Saturday's first session to focus on whether Iraq's representative be allowed to participate, said Bushra Kanafani, a Syrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.
He rejected the offer.
"With the absence of a clear invitation by the Syrian government, it is very difficult for Iraq to participate in this meeting and we will not abide by or accept any decisions taken by this meeting," Zebari told a Baghdad news conference.
A Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iraq's decision to stay away should clear the air, "consequently facilitating the meeting's mission."
Iraq's Governing Council had also wanted to use the meeting to urge neighbors to provide information on former Saddam regime figures who may be hiding in their countries.
"The terrorists are coming from all the borders, including Syria," Zebari said.
U.S. officials have said foreign fighters may be behind a recent upsurge in attacks against coalition forces, international aid agencies and Iraqis in Iraq. America has accused Syria of not doing enough to prevent foreign fighters infiltrating through its eastern border into Iraq to attack U.S.-led coalition forces.
"What is required of neighboring countries that care about the unity and sovereignty and security of Iraq is to back Iraqi efforts to bolster security and stability, combating terrorism and barring terrorists from crossing over, and protecting the border," Zebari said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Iraq's participation was important. Baghdad has not attended any of the regional group's previous meetings, in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, because they were held before the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam.
"What we discuss here is aimed at helping our Iraqi brethren in regaining their full sovereignty and taking control of their own affairs in a united country," he told reporters in Damascus.
"This is our mission and this is our goal."
"What we discuss here is aimed at helping our Iraqi brethren in regaining their full sovereignty and taking control of their own affairs in a united country...This is our mission and this is our goal." -- Egyptian foreign minister"A Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iraq's decision to stay away should clear the air, "consequently facilitating the meeting's mission."
</sarcasm>
Let's deploy lots of these puppies along the border:
Beautifully stated.
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