Dubai: Hours before the convening of a high-profile regional meeting to discuss terrorism and ways to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), an extremist group that controls wide swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq, mystery remained deep over the participation of an Iraqi delegation at the talks.
Saudi media said the meeting would bring together the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and the US. However, Al Zaman, an Iraqi daily, on Wednesday said that the Iraqi foreign minister Ebrahim Al Jaafari would take part in the meeting to be hosted by the Saudi kingdom.
If confirmed, his participation would mark the first visit by a senior Iraqi official to the kingdom since the formation of the new Iraqi government headed by Haidar Al Abadi.
According to Al Zaman, Saudi Arabia did not invite Iran to the meeting amid reports that Tehran wanted Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to attend even though the US, France and Britain have openly opposed cooperation with the Syrian leader in confronting terrorism.
Iran has reportedly argued that Al Assad’s troops were carrying out massive operations against the Islamic State in Syria, the daily added.
Syrian newspapers have launched an attack against what they described as the Arabs’ rush into the alliance to confront the Islamic State, saying that it would allow the US to set foot again in the Middle East.
One Syrian newspaper suggested the formation of an alliance of Syria, Iran and Russia.
