Iraq and its six neighbors concluded talks in Kuwait on Sunday with a call for a central role for the UN in Iraq, including supervision of elections and of the transfer of power to Iraqis.
In a final statement after a two-day meeting, they also said it was vital to eliminate "all terrorist and other armed groups from Iraqi territory that constitute a danger for the neighboring states."
That was a clear reference to anti-US fighters operating in Iraq, including the al-Qaeda network headed by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, which Washington blames for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the US.
Scores of gunmen firing mortars and grenades stormed Iraqi security posts in Falluja on Saturday, killing 27 people, including 22 police, in the latest strike on forces vital to the transfer of power in Iraq.
Iraq had demanded at the Kuwait talks that its neighbours take "decisive measures" to impose tight security to stop cross-border infiltrations by foreign guerrillas fighting US-led forces.
But the ministers' final statement only referred to the need to support "the effort made by Iraq towards achieving security and stability."
"There are incidents of infiltration [into Iraq] from the outside. I do not want to accuse anyone, but most of the suicide and terrorist operations are not carried out by Iraqis," Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari told a news conference.
He said however such attacks would not undermine Iraqis' ability to take over government from US authorities as scheduled on June 30.
Iraq and its neighbors Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran and Kuwait, affirmed "the importance of enhancing the role of the UN so that it can assume its central responsibilities throughout the transitional process in Iraq."
The statement said these respo-nsibilities include "preparing the ground for the withdrawal of occupying powers as soon as possible, and providing advice and technical expertise for formulating the constitution, holding elections, and expediting the transfer of power."
The US plans to hand over power to an interim Iraqi administration, chosen by a system of caucuses, by June 30. Iraq's Shiite leaders, fearful of losing influence, are demanding popular elections before any handover.
Washington, seeking to speed the process, is eager to revive UN involvement. The UN withdrew its staff from Baghdad last year after suffering two bomb attacks.
A visiting UN delegation said last week time was short and it would be difficult to hold popular elections ahead of a July 1 handover.
Iraqi authorities will ask the US to hand over Saddam Hussein and to remove his status as a prisoner of war (POW) when they take over power on June 30, Zebari said.
The US last month declared the former Iraqi president a POW, meaning he has certain specific rights under the Geneva Convention on treatment of POWs.
That provoked protests in Baghdad by Iraqis opposed to the move, who also demanded Saddam face the death penalty.
"From a legal viewpoint, his status as a prisoner of war does not bar putting him on trial," Zebari added.
Egypt's foreign minister Ahmed Maher told reporters Egypt was willing to start training Iraqi police and diplomats and to help rebuild the country's damaged electric grid.
The foreign ministers meeting in Kuwait re-emphasized "respecting the sovereignty, independence and unity of Iraq." Syria, Turkey and Iran fear a break-up of Iraq, especially a secession by the Kurdish north, could stir similar aspirations among their own Kurdish populations.
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