Arabs Urge Al-Maliki To Include Sunni Insurgents In Reconciliation Efforts
(RTTNews) - Arab leaders Sunday, called upon Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step up reconciliation efforts to include Sunni insurgents in return for Arab support.
Al-Maliki, in his official visit to Egypt as prime minister, has sought support from Cairo in a bid to contain Iraq's deadly sectarian violence.
"Egypt stands by Iraq to achieve peace, security and stability and stresses the need to achieve national reconciliation between all sects of the Iraqi society," Egypt Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was quoted by AP after talks with al-Maliki.
Unidentified Arab diplomats, said al-Maliki was told in no uncertain terms that Arabs will link their support to a package of demands before they give substantial help to his beleaguered government.
At last month's summit of Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia, Sunni-led governments of Arab states had adopted a tough posture on Iraq and demanded the Shiite-led government change its constitution and its military to include more Sunnis and end persecution of former members of Saddam Hussein's regime.