Talabani: Some governments backing terrorists

Khartoum: The Iraqi president yesterday accused "some" Arab governments and their media outlets of supporting terrorists who wreak havoc in his country and hinder its reconstruction process.

Jalal Talabani, in his speech before the final session of the Arab summit which was read by foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari, said Arab governments were allowing terrorists to infiltrate Iraq's borders in "a plot aimed to weaken us in order to destroy us."

He added: "The biggest support to the terrorists and the former regime loyalists get ? is from media outlets in some Arab countries and their decision-making circles."

This is the strongest ever statement by an Iraqi official accusing Arab states of supporting the ongoing violence in the warn-torn country.

He asked Arab states to provide "all possible help in eradicating terrorism and drying up the sources of its activities."

Terrorism, Talabani said, was "a common enemy, which threatens all Arab countries."

He also complained of the reluctance of Arab states to send their ambassadors to Baghdad. He further asked the summit to abolish debts, due on Iraq to Arab countries, worth dozens of billions, "which represent a heavy burden on our people."

Talabani didn't take part in the Khartoum summit citing the current political impasse over the formation of the new government as a reason for not being able to leave Iraq.

The summit ended with a call on Iraqis to stop the violence and speed up the setting up of a national unity government.

But Iraqi delegation, led by Zebari, failed to win an Arab pledge to send ambassadors.

Arab states cite lack of security as a reason for not re-opening their diplomatic missions in Iraq.

Jordan initiative: Iraqi religious leaders to hold meeting

The summit welcomed Jordan's initiative to host a meeting of Iraqi religious leaders, aimed to reduce sectarian tension in their country, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa said.

The Khartoum summit failed to meet a key Iraqi demand to send Arab ambassadors to Baghdad, but said the Jordanian initiative was "a step in the right direction," according to Mousa. He didn't mention the date of the proposed conference but said it will held in coordination with the Iraqi government and the Arab League.

Iraq's Arab neighbours fear the country could well slide into devastating civil war among its Shiite and Sunni communities following last month's bombing of the holy shrines in Samarra. Another conference, the Iraq National Reconciliation Conference, is scheduled to be held in Baghdad in June.