Rice, in Stops in Iraq, Urges Sunnis to Reject Insurgency
Will you pretty please stop supporting the insurgents?
November 12, 2005
Diplomacy
Rice, in Stops in Iraq, Urges Sunnis to Reject Insurgency
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 11 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited a troubled Sunni stronghold in northern Iraq on Friday and then met with Iraqi leaders here in the capital, urging disaffected Sunnis in both places to reject the insurgency and address their grievances by voting in the parliamentary elections five weeks from now.
But both Ms. Rice and the Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, responded warily to suggestions from the Arab League and others that the insurgency be addressed through a political reconciliation process that extends to major figures in the government of the ousted leader, Saddam Hussein.
"The American people and I think the world continue to be impressed and inspired by the commitment of the Iraqi people to their democratic future," Ms. Rice declared at the end of a day that started in the northern city of Mosul and ended in Baghdad's secure area, the Green Zone.
Ms. Rice flew unannounced to Iraq at the start of a Middle East trip. Donning a flak vest under her suit coat, she swept into a secure army base on Mosul's northern outskirts at the site of a palace that once belonged to Saddam Hussein's son Uday. She then took a transport plane to Baghdad before flying to Bahrain in the evening.
After nearly 30 hours on planes, helicopters or in meetings, Ms. Rice appeared to display some impatience in Baghdad over certain matters, notably a suggestion by the Arab League that a conference in Cairo on Nov. 19 include Hussein loyalists who still do not recognize the legitimacy of the Iraqi government.
"I would hope that those who participate in the Arab League conference will recognize that they are participating with an Iraqi government that has indeed been elected," Ms. Rice said sharply.
Mr. Jaafari then imposed limits on meeting with his government's enemies, saying that the Arab League meeting should be for "all of those who are part of the political process in Iraq." But he added, "We will never accept that the conference become a platform for terrorism and for high-level Baathist officials from the former regime."
Taken together, the comments suggested that the Iraqi leadership was still wrestling with American demands that more be done to work with Sunni dissidents. In other remarks showing displeasure with Arab countries, Ms. Rice said that "not enough" was being done by Arab governments to aid Iraq, establish a diplomatic presence here and support its legitimacy.
In urging Iraqis to do more to bring Sunni dissidents into the political process, Ms. Rice indicated she did not want to second-guess Iraqi efforts and would remain neutral. "We will support no particular candidate or party," she said. "That is for the Iraqis to decide." Despite the evident progress in Mosul, which a year ago was in the grip of the insurgency after a virtual collapse of its police force, the visit also reflected how much remained to be done. Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city, remains tense. A month ago, four State Department security officers were killed there by a roadside bomb.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/12/international/middleeast/12rice.html
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited a troubled Sunni stronghold in northern Iraq on Friday and then met with Iraqi leaders here in the capital, urging disaffected Sunnis in both places to reject the insurgency and address their grievances by voting in the parliamentary elections five weeks from now. But both Ms. Rice and the Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, responded warily to suggestions from the Arab League and others that the insurgency be addressed through a political reconciliation process that extends to major figures in the government of the ousted leader, Saddam Hussein.
November 12, 2005
Diplomacy
Rice, in Stops in Iraq, Urges Sunnis to Reject Insurgency
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 11 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited a troubled Sunni stronghold in northern Iraq on Friday and then met with Iraqi leaders here in the capital, urging disaffected Sunnis in both places to reject the insurgency and address their grievances by voting in the parliamentary elections five weeks from now.
But both Ms. Rice and the Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, responded warily to suggestions from the Arab League and others that the insurgency be addressed through a political reconciliation process that extends to major figures in the government of the ousted leader, Saddam Hussein.
"The American people and I think the world continue to be impressed and inspired by the commitment of the Iraqi people to their democratic future," Ms. Rice declared at the end of a day that started in the northern city of Mosul and ended in Baghdad's secure area, the Green Zone.
Ms. Rice flew unannounced to Iraq at the start of a Middle East trip. Donning a flak vest under her suit coat, she swept into a secure army base on Mosul's northern outskirts at the site of a palace that once belonged to Saddam Hussein's son Uday. She then took a transport plane to Baghdad before flying to Bahrain in the evening.
After nearly 30 hours on planes, helicopters or in meetings, Ms. Rice appeared to display some impatience in Baghdad over certain matters, notably a suggestion by the Arab League that a conference in Cairo on Nov. 19 include Hussein loyalists who still do not recognize the legitimacy of the Iraqi government.
"I would hope that those who participate in the Arab League conference will recognize that they are participating with an Iraqi government that has indeed been elected," Ms. Rice said sharply.
Mr. Jaafari then imposed limits on meeting with his government's enemies, saying that the Arab League meeting should be for "all of those who are part of the political process in Iraq." But he added, "We will never accept that the conference become a platform for terrorism and for high-level Baathist officials from the former regime."
Taken together, the comments suggested that the Iraqi leadership was still wrestling with American demands that more be done to work with Sunni dissidents. In other remarks showing displeasure with Arab countries, Ms. Rice said that "not enough" was being done by Arab governments to aid Iraq, establish a diplomatic presence here and support its legitimacy.
In urging Iraqis to do more to bring Sunni dissidents into the political process, Ms. Rice indicated she did not want to second-guess Iraqi efforts and would remain neutral. "We will support no particular candidate or party," she said. "That is for the Iraqis to decide." Despite the evident progress in Mosul, which a year ago was in the grip of the insurgency after a virtual collapse of its police force, the visit also reflected how much remained to be done. Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city, remains tense. A month ago, four State Department security officers were killed there by a roadside bomb.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/12/international/middleeast/12rice.html
posted by JimG at 10:55 AM
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