EU-US conference on Iraq

Iraq Net reports on an international conference on Iraq, co-hosted by the United States and the European Union. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, “The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for the new Iraqi Transitional Government to present its priorities, vision and strategies for the transition period leading up to the next round of elections toward the end of the year. (PS)

Interview with Kanan Makiya

Middle East Quarterly has a fascinating interview with Kanan Makiya, one of Iraq’s most prominent democracy and human rights advocates. His 1989 book, Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime.

Iraq UN mandate extended

Iraq Net reports that the UN Security Council has agreed to extend the mandate of multinational forces in Iraq “until the completion of the political process.” Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called on the United States and other countries to accelerate efforts to help the new government get on its feet: “We need the cooperation of all our neighbours, of the international community, to accelerate this, the process of training, of equipment, of assistance, because that will shorten the mandate of the (multinational force). “We need the continued engagement of the United States in this process. For us this is very important. It’s important to accelerate the training, the build-up of these forces. I know there are many efforts to see things through being exerted, but speed is of the essence.” (AJ)