| Well, that makes sense. If the subject matter of the meeting happens to turn to what to do about them, it could be kind of embarrassing... |
Iran and Syria decided not to participate in the upcoming meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Lebanon's daily As-Safir newspaper said that the Iranian foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazai and his Syrian counterpart, Farouk Al Sharra, will not attend the convention. The paper did not say who would represent the two countries if they decided to attend the meeting. The meeting, planned for January 6, will be attended by the foreign ministers of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, as well as Egypt, which hosted previous meetings of Iraq's neighboring countries as well as the parley of Iraq's donor states.
The ministers are expected to discuss how Iraq's neighbors can support the political process in Iraq, particularly the upcoming national elections, planned for January 30. Earlier this month, Jordan's King Abdullah II alleged that the Islamic republic is trying to influence the outcomes of Iraq's elections for its own political ends, a charge that Iran strongly rejected. Also Iraqi and U.S. officials claim that Syria sends military equipment to Iraq and allows insurgents to cross its border into Iraq. Syria has strongly rejected those claims, saying it is doing its best to tighten control at the terrain that defines its border with Iraq. |