Militant group says Baghdad conference "part of a conspiracy"

Mar 11, 2007, 15:03 GMT

Baghdad - An internet statement attributed to the al-Qaeda- linked Sunni group Islamic State of Iraq called the international conference held in Baghdad on Saturday 'part of a conspiracy.'

The group said that the purpose of the meeting was for the United States, which is leading the coalition forces in Iraq, to 'save face.'

'And so the new conspiracy started in order to save the American mister, to save his face,' read the statement issued on Sunday afternoon. 'And the title (of this so-called conspiracy) is national reconciliation.'

The one-day Baghdad conference on the future of Iraq's security had featured representation from the US, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Iran and Egypt as well as representatives from the Arab League and the five permanent UN Security Council members.

The government had intended the conference to be a show of support for Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-led cabinet and its programme for national reconciliation.

The high-profile meeting was also hoped to pave the way for dialogue between the US and the countries in the region, especially Iraq's neighbours who could play a significant role in stabilizing the violence-marred country.

However, according to the Islamist group, neighbouring and Arab countries met at the Baghdad conference to allegedly 'find a decent exit for the armies of the cross out of the crisis that they're living; an exit that will save face (for the forces) in front of the entire world.'

The heated statement also sent a message to 'those who are convened' in Iraq, that 'our battles are not only to drive the occupier out, but also to maintain the national unity.'

It added: 'Our fighting is a legitimate demand. It is jihad (holy battle) to raise the word of God.'

The Islamic State of Iraq group was established in 2006 with the aim of protecting 'the Sunni Iraqi people and defending Islam.'

The group, which follows the extremist ideology of al-Qaeda, includes a variety of insurgency groups claiming to be represented across Iraq. It is headed by al-Baghdadi, who calls himself 'Emir of the Believers.'

The group aims to establish a caliphate in the Sunni Arab- dominated regions of Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and its allies are strongest in the Anbar and Diyala provinces.