Baghdad blasts overshadow internationa peace conference

Supporters and opponents of the United States-led war in Iraq yesterday made a collective pledge to rebuild the country as a pluralist democracy at a conference designed to draw a line under deep international divisions over American policy in the Middle East.

Heavy on rhetoric but light on practical results, the meeting of Foreign Ministers in Brussels brought together representatives from more than 80 countries and organisations, including Iran and Syria, to endorse the Iraqi Government's plans to restore order, revive the economy and draft a constitution.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said that the one-day meeting "marked a watershed for Iraq", and that its people should "take heart from this strong message of support".

However, the violence continued unabated in Iraq yesterday where two lots of three consecutive car bombs in Baghdad killed a total of 33 people and wounded 98.

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, issued a tough message to Damascus, accusing it of destabilising Iraq and arguing: "Syria has a responsibility to the international community and to its neighbours not to allow its territory to be used for the gathering of people who are wreaking havoc and causing harm to innocent Iraqis."

Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hoshiyar Zebari, said that networks of "terrorists using Syria to transit into Iraq" could be stopped "if the political will exists".

However, the Syrian Foreign Minister, Farouq al-Shara, said his country was being denied the sophisticated monitoring equipment that would help it to guard its frontier, arguing: "The party preventing Syria from securing the border better is the same one that is strongly criticising Syria."

Nevertheless, key participants were determined to put the best gloss on events in Iraq, despite the continuing insurgency and lawlessness.

Sponsored jointly by the US and the European Union, the meeting backed efforts to achieve "a democratic, pluralist, federal and unified Iraq" and urged the authorities in Baghdad to accommodate the Sunni minority in political structures. The authorities should, it argued, "intensify efforts to engage all parties renouncing violence in the political process" and Zebari said: "No one wants to marginalise any one section in Iraq."

Rice's declaration that Iraq was "on its way to democracy" gained backing from those who were fiercely opposed to the US-led invasion. Germany's Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said : "A democratic process is taking place that is vital for us, whether you were against the war or not."

Yesterday's gathering was the product of President George W. Bush's visit to Europe this year, and European allies were on their best behaviour yesterday, stressing the common interest in a stable Iraq.

Such declarations aside, the meetings discussed Iraq's path to membership of the World Trade Organisation, debt forgiveness and diplomatic recognition.

But there were no decisions on financial support for Iraq, an issue that will be discussed at a donor conference in the Jordanian capital, Amman, next month. Iraq's Finance Minister Ali Allawi complained of sparse aid receipts, saying they had not reached the "expected levels", and there were calls for greater contributions from wealthy neighbours such as Saudi Arabia..

Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, described the conference as "very encouraging", and highlighted Syrian and Iranian participation in yesterday's meeting. He said: "Two years ago, most Arab states were extremely sceptical about whether there was any chance at all of Iraq - after the military action - would be able to come together to start to form a secure, prosperous and coherent state. I think most of them have been relieved by the progress."

The al Qaeda group, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, denounced the meeting, saying: "The enemies of God gather at the conference in Brussels to destroy Iraq, not to build it."

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