Iraq urges neighbours to help fight terrorists

IRAQ’S foreign minister urged neighbours to prevent “terrorists and killers” from crossing into his country and warned yesterday that the violence in Iraq could spill across its borders.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari’s comments came during the opening of a day-long conference that brought to Baghdad officials from all of Iraq’s neighbours and other Mideast countries, as well as representatives from the UN and the Group of Eight industrialised nations. The first such conference in March saw the first direct US-Iranian talks since the war began, focusing on border problems, Iraqi refugees and energy issues.

“Despite our emphasis on national reconciliation at home, we also need to reconcile with our neighbourhood, with the international community at large,” said Zebari.

Zebari’s appeal to Iraq’s neighbours occurred on the eve of congressional hearings in Washington by US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Gen David Petraeus, who are to report on Iraq’s progress amid a debate over calls to start bringing American troops home.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said he there has been “progress on the security side, particularly in Baghdad,” but said support from the US was still needed.

US officials say security is improving, but complain of too little progress politically with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government. Al-Maliki disputed this at the meeting Sunday, saying the “Iraqi national unity government has achieved great victories in different fields.”