New Iraqi govt gets backing from Islamic nations

The world’s largest Islamic organisation pledged today to “actively help” Iraq in its transition to sovereignty and democracy – support that could help lift the Iraqi interim government’s stature and give a key boost to US policy in the war-torn country.

The 57-country Organisation of the Islamic Conference, closing a three day foreign ministers’ meeting in Istanbul, also called on the international community to give priority to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict and said Islamic countries will work to promote reform and development.