US and EU rally for help in re-building post-war Iraq

The United States and the European Union joined forces today to rally international help for Iraq at a conference that will press Baghdad to ensure minority Sunnis play a full role in its future.

Sunni Arabs, who make up about 20 per cent of Iraq's 26 million population, mostly boycotted January elections and form the core of an insurgency.

The Shia Muslim majority and Kurds dominate the transitional government in Baghdad.

"Iraqis must find it within themselves to reach out to one another and address issues on which they may differ," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, according to an advance copy of his speech to a meeting attended by representatives of some 80 nations. Ireland is represented at the conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.

"Without an inclusive process, security initiatives are unlikely to yield enduring results," Mr Annan added, echoing political analysts who say including more Sunni Arabs in decision-making could help defuse the insurgency.

The conference, a result of US President George W. Bush's trip to Europe in February to mend fences two years after the Iraq war sparked rifts, will also urge Baghdad to stay on track to hold fresh elections by the end of the year, officials say.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in the Wall Street Journal that efforts must concentrate on political and economic reconstruction and establishment of the rule of law through reform of the legal infrastructure.

"The purpose of this conference is primarily political, to send a clear message that the international community will stand by the people of Iraq," he wrote.

The meeting will steer clear of lingering transatlantic sensitivities over the US-led war, such as the continued refusal of France and Germany and other anti-war countries to offer troops, and is not intended as a donor conference.

Instead it will offer a show of world support for Iraq and give Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari a platform to pitch for specific help in reconstruction and reform.

The final communique at the conference will call on Iraq's major creditors to give generous debt relief, said an EU diplomat, who declined to be named. It would also pledge support to Baghdad's efforts to join bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, the diplomat said.