EGYPT: THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES AGREE WITH OPPONENTS OF THE INVASION OF IRAQ THAT THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN IRAQ SHOULD MOVE FORWARD

Record ID: 648911

  • Title: EGYPT: THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES AGREE WITH OPPONENTS OF THE INVASION OF IRAQ THAT THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN IRAQ SHOULD MOVE FORWARD
  • Date: 22nd November 2004
  • Summary: (EU) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV/SLV ARRIVAL OF TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH GOL/CAR ARRIVING (2 SHOTS) 0.19 2. SV/SLV ARRIVAL OF SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK AL SHARAA (3 SHOTS) 0.42 3. SV ARRIVAL OF KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER SHEIKH MOHAMED SABAH EL SALEM 0.52 4. SV ARRIVAL OF SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL 1.01 5. SV/MCU (English) AMR MOUSSA HEAD OF ARAB LEAGUE ARRIVING, SAYS TO MEDIA: "Well, the political process should be pursued, including the preservation of the territorial integrity and the security of the people of Iraq. We're all very much concerned about the situation." (2 SHOTS) 1.26 6. SLV/SV/MCU VARIOUS OF IRAQ AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES MEETING (10 SHOTS) 2.15 7. SV ARRIVAL OF JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER NABOTAKA MASHMORI 2.22 (W6) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. LV PULL IN SV ARRIVAL OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL 2.58 (U7) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. SV (English) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER ARRIVING, SAYS TO PRESS: "Well I hope that we will reach a consensus for backing the democratic process in Iraq." 3.12 10. SV ARRIVAL OF BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JACK STRAW 3.19 11. SLV BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER JACK STRAW LEAVING BY CAR 3.27 12. SV FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER GETTING INTO CAR 3.42 13. SV ARRIVAL OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV 3.47 14. MCU (English) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYS TO PRESS: "Well I think the conference will consider the whole aspects of the situation and will decide what the participants can do to make sure that resolution 1546 is implemented in all its aspects, including the need to build national consensus in Iraq before the elections." 4.06 (W7) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 15. SV IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER HOSHIYAR ZEBARI WITH THE IRAQI DELEGATION COMING OUT OF MEETING. 4.21 16. SV SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK AL SHARAA COMING OUT OF THE MEETING 4.23 17. SV IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER KAMAL KHARAZI COMING OUT OF THE MEETING 4.29 18. SV EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED ABOUL GHEIT COMING OUT OF THE MEETING 4.35 19. MCU (English) EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED ABOUL GHEIT SAYS TO MEDIA: "Discussions are the elections how to ensure a proper process of the election. As well as how to ensure the enforcement of the security of Iraq while the political process is proceeding." 5.01 20. SV ARRIVAL OF HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS KOFI ANNAN 5.20 21. SLV ANAAN'S CAR LEAVING 5.28 22. SLV/MCU PHOTO-OP OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETING WITH IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER HOSHIYAR ZEBARI (2 SHOTS) 5.56 23. SLV EXTERNAL OF CONFERENCE ROOM BUILDING 5.58 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th December 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVA6Y0VGT0BD3K19EZSLN464VE3K
  • Story Text: The U.S. and its allies agree with opponents of the
    invasion of Iraq that the political process in Iraq should
    move forward.



    The United States and its allies on Monday (November
    22) found common cause with opponents of the invasion of
    Iraq, encouraging Iraq to hold elections on time in
    January, even as some Arab states floated the idea of a
    delay. At a conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm
    el-Sheikh on Tuesday (November 23), all will sign up to a
    statement encouraging the interim Iraqi government to hold
    the poll before the end of January, the date set by the
    U.N. Security Council, delegates said.

    But Egypt, Jordan and the Arab League, taking part in
    the conference, raised the possibility of delaying
    elections beyond January to ensure full participation by
    Sunni Arabs, some of whose leaders have threatened a
    boycott.

    The Arab states will not break with the consensus at
    the Sharm el-Sheikh conference but merely want to stress
    the need for including all Iraqis, especially the Sunnis,
    delegates said.

    "Well, the political process should be pursued,
    including the preservation of the territorial integrity and
    the security of the people of Iraq. We're all very much
    concerned about the situation." said Amr Moussa the Head
    of The Arab League to journalists.

    Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said a delay of a
    few weeks was not that important.

    Iraq's interim government, which is trying to crush
    insurgents in mainly Sunni Arab areas of Iraq, said on
    Monday it was determined to ensure security across the
    country to allow the poll to take place and to allow all
    Iraqis to vote.

    A senior U.S. State Department official said the United
    States believed the Jan. 30 date was "very feasible" and
    was working to help Iraq's U.S.-backed leaders meet their
    goal.

    One goal of the Iraq conference was to muster support
    from the participants to help "achieve that promise that
    has been made to the Iraqi people," the official told
    reporters.

    Iraq's U.N. representative, Samir Shakir Sumaidaie,
    told Reuters that attacks on insurgents in Falluja made it
    easier to hold the elections because it had destroyed the
    base and infrastructure of groups seeking to rule the
    country.

    Postponing the elections was not out of the question
    but the Iraqi government would not send out signals that
    this would happen, he added. "This would give comfort to
    the terrorists."
    But with Iraq war opponents including France, Germany,
    Iran and Syria in attendance, the draft conference
    communiqu did not break any new ground and avoided
    condemning the insurgency against U.S.-led forces and the
    American-backed government.

    The draft, published by Egypt's state news agency MENA,
    condemned "all acts of terrorism in Iraq" and calls on all
    parties "to avoid the use of excessive force" and to do all
    they can to avoid exposing civilians to violence.

    France had wanted Iraqi political forces, including
    those not in the interim government, to meet on the
    conference sidelines. Iraq's interim government rejected
    that idea.

    Some opponents of the U.S. invasion had pressed earlier
    in the negotiations for a firm timetable for withdrawing
    U.S. and other foreign forces from Iraq. But the statement
    merely repeated a formula adopted by the U.N. Security
    Council in June.

    Iraq, its neighbours and Egypt met on Monday evening
    ahead of the full conference on Tuesday to talk about
    border security. Iraq has complained of militants, weapons
    and money reaching the insurgents from neighbouring
    countries.

    The Foreign Ministers at the conference are from
    Algeria, Bahrain, Britain, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany,
    Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, the Netherlands,
    Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria Tunisia, Turkey and the United
    States. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is also taking
    part.

    The United States, European Union, Russia and the
    United Nations are due to meet in Sharm el-Sheikh on
    Tuesday before the conference to discuss
    Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking efforts.


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