Dina Ezzat follows the latest episode of diplomatic attempts to hold an all-inclusive Iraqi reconciliation conference "We do not have a fixed date for the all- inclusive Iraqi reconciliation conference, but we are working hard to have it convened before the end of this year," Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa announced this week. Moussa was speaking to the press in the wake of a three-day meeting that was hosted by his organisation to resolve profound and acute inter-Iraqi differences over the governance of a country that has been taking the fast lane towards civil war. Attended by representatives from leading Sunni, Shia, Kurdish and other Iraqi political and ethnic groups, the meeting of the preparatory committee for the all- inclusive Iraqi reconciliation conference was marked by the clear absence of two influential blocs of the Iraqi political structure: the Baathists and militant resistance groups. As such, participants to the event, which opened in Cairo on 25 July and lasted for three days, were in no position to inch closer towards a framework of reconciliation that could help reduce the level of bloodshed in Iraq. Arab League and Iraqi delegates sounded realistic during the discussions and in the statements they made on the prospects of their work. They held no illusions of their ability to put an end to the bloodshed in Iraq, even when an overall conference is finally convened with the widest possible participation. There is a clear awareness among the concerned parties that the best they can eventually do is to offer a framework for consensus on the key differences, including the role of resistance during the continued presence of foreign occupation forces; the potentials and possible structure of a federation; the composition of the army and police forces; and the role of former Baathists in deciding the future of the country. As for the dividing ethnic barrier -- which many claim is growing by the hour -- between Sunnis and Shias, participants agreed that the road to reconciliation is long and elusive. However, attendees of the conference, who seemed willing to engage for three days of friendly talks -- notwithstanding the occasional confrontation -- decided to convene for yet another preparatory round within weeks. "The latest possible date for this meeting is the first week of November," Moussa told reporters. Meanwhile, the meeting adopted a four- page document that underlined "the commitment of all parties to the necessity of achieving national accord and reconciliation among the Iraqi people with all its political, religious and ethnic components." The document, some participants suggested, made considerable progress when it highlighted the agreement of all concerned parties to address the need to revise the Iraqi constitution and "to reconsider the measures, decisions and mechanisms of de-baathification". For many of the Iraqi participants, it was important for the conference to adopt a resolution stipulating the establishment of a committee of leading Sunni and Shia figures, along with representatives of the Arab League, to consider measures aiming at containing the growing ethnic conflict. However, these same participants were sceptical about the ability of such a committee to deliver, even if it lives up to the aspirations set out by the conference to promote inter-ethnic dialogue and to launch a campaign to rebuild destroyed mosques of Sunnis and Shias. The situation, participants agreed, is bleak. Many believe that, with the continued presence of the American troops, peace is unlikely to be found in Iraq. Others, however, sounded convinced that a full-scale civil war could be unleashed if foreign troops exit the stage too prematurely. The Arab League says it will continue its attempts to bridge the gap between both sides. The Arab League is coordinating its efforts with an initiative for reconciliation proposed by the Iraqi prime minister. "We are combining all efforts in the hope that we can help the new Iraq be built on the right basis and by all of its people," said Arab League Secretary- General Moussa.
