By Prensa Latina,
Manama : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will abandon Bahrain without obtaining either commitments or significant achievements in Monday’s meeting with representatives of eight Arab countries and Iraq.
Her efforts to win regional support for the Iraqi government failed to meet White House expectations.
Rice explained that the talks focused on Iraqi debt relief and the opening of Arab diplomatic missions in Baghdad, but she was unable to announce any concrete progress.
Although she tried to show optimism to the press, diplomatic circles reported that participants in discussions expressed concern about Iraq’s prevailing insecurity and doubted the advisability of supporting the current government.
Regarding the opening of diplomatic missions, Saudi Arabia, which has considered this possibility since last year, made no promises, while Egypt, the ambassador of which was kidnapped and assassinated in 2005, announced on Friday that its mission will not reopen until security improves.
Only Kuwait and the League of Arab Countries said they will appoint a representative to Baghdad.
Bahrain said it will consider the proposal.
Regarding the writing off of the Iraqi debt, the Arab countries refused to accept the US initiative, and Rice will go to the meeting of foreign ministers from Iraq’s neighbors tomorrow without achieving her goal.
Media noted that these Washington strategies stem from the need to convince world public opinion and US taxpayers that the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has stabilized the country aided by the US Army, in order to justify the presence of occupying forces in the Arab country and silence opponents.