Neighbours urged to enhance ties with Iraq

US officials have begun a new diplomatic initiative in the Middle East, shuttling among Arab capitals to press Iraq's nervous Sunni neighbours to step up their cooperation with the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad.

With a referendum on Iraq's constitution approaching, the US officials have been urging Sunni-led governments to use their influence to persuade Iraq's Sunnis to take part in the democratic process.

The visiting US officials, including State Department Iraq adviser James Jeffrey and Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, also have been encouraging the governments to increase diplomatic support and financial aid to Baghdad.

The mission comes amid flaring tensions between Iraqi officials, who worry that their neighbours quietly are undermining their weak government, and the Sunni-dominated neighbours, who fear a Shiite leadership in Baghdad could take orders from Shiite-dominated Iran.

The constitutional referendum, which some Arab leaders see as another step toward Shiite domination, is adding to the unease, diplomats say.

Iraqi officials have voiced a variety of other objections about nearby countries, including that they do too little to prevent militants from crossing the borders and that they haven't offered condolences when large numbers of Iraqis have been killed in violence.

"The rhetoric has been quite high, and that has made it important that the United States consult with these countries about how the relationships can be improved," said Patrick Clawson, deputy director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

US officials have been pressing neighbouring nations since soon after the March 2003 invasion to increase their diplomatic and financial support to Iraq, but still are not satisfied with the results.

Arab governments promised billions in aid at a donor's conference two years ago, but have delivered only a fraction because, they say, the insurgency has made reconstruction impossible in many areas.

The neighbours repeatedly have promised strong diplomatic support.

But when Jordan's foreign minister visited Baghdad three weeks ago, he was the first of his rank from an Arab country to do so. Neighbouring governments have repeated that security is the reason.

Khalilzad recently took the US message to Saudi Arabia, as did Jeffrey. And Jeffrey is on a five-nation trip in the Middle East.

Over the weekend, he discussed the Iraq situation at an Arab League meeting in Cairo, Egypt. That session resulted in a decision to send Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to Iraq this week to take part in an Iraqi "reconciliation" conference.